Smuggler's Redemption
by AzureSpider
Summary: The untold story of the Smuggler Lia de Russo, and what she would have done had her life been spared...Rated M for blood and language. Expect to see guest appearances from many Brotherhood characters, including most of the multiplayer characters.
1. The Eagle and his prey

Smuggler's Redemption: Chapter 1: The Eagle and his prey

Ezio Auditore da Firenze scanned the bustling city streets of Rome with a keen interest. From his place atop a roof he had a good view of the portion of the city laid out before him, his sharp eyes able to identify each and every passerby in his search for his target.

According to the man he had gained the assignment from, his wife had been threatened by a cloaked figure sporting a hidden blade like his assassins for refusing to close her store after the Borgia declared jurisdiction in the area it had been situated in. The woman had said that she would kill her if she did not close her store. Ezio had agreed to take care of the couple's problem for them, and to send a message to the Borgia that their assassins would not last now that he and his order had come to Rome.

Finally, Ezio spotted a figure who matched the man's description: a taller woman with a green hooded cape with mostly white clothing complete with brown boots, gloves, and a corset. And indeed, she had a hidden blade drawn, prepared to kill another innocent victim…

Ezio leaped down and towards his target with the superhuman agility and speed he had become legendary for. His target spotted him and abandoned her kill, sprinting away as quickly as she could. Not to be dissuaded so easily, Ezio gave chase, all the while feeling just a bit distasteful at the prospect of killing a woman. True, she was a Templar, and also a smuggler from what information he had gathered on her, but there was still a dirty feeling that came with the prospect. He always had been a sucker for a pretty face, and age it seemed had done little to change that…

"Stop chasing me!" The Smuggler shouted. "_Figlio di troia_! Who sent you?"

Ezio did not respond as he kept up his chase. The Smuggler scaled a rooftop with the same speed as any one of his apprentices, and began sprinting across them when she saw that Ezio still gave chase. She would not escape him. No Templar ever did.

She leaped across another rooftop. Ezio was silently impressed with how much speed and agility she possessed. She had certainly put up far more of a chase then the Footpad Lanz had.

But even she only had so much stamina. As their chase continued into another district and then into the alleyways, Ezio could see clearly that his prey was finally tiring. Growing weaker. In time, she would slow down too much and he would close in for the kill.

Finally, they made their way through another alley, and the Smuggler became fatally slow, as well as clumsy. One misstep and she went tripping over a broken crate and tumbled.

"Merda!" The Smuggler shouted angrily.

_Such un-ladylike language _Ezio thought as he closed in. With a snap, out came his signature hidden blade…

Ezio had to jump back at the last minute as the Smuggler lashed out with her own hidden blade. Ah yes. He had forgotten about that one little detail about her. The hidden blade. No doubt she had acquired that from an assassin…

Taking advantage of Ezio's brief back-step, the Smuggler sprinted forward again. But Ezio was now right on top of her. Soon he came lunging in with his hidden blade. The Smuggler whipped around and met Ezio's blade with her own. The impact made a crude clanging sound, as the hidden blade was not meant to trade blows in such a way. Reeling back a bit, Ezio lunged forward again, forcing the Smuggler back. With his other hand he drew his sword, and with a single fluid thrust jammed it into the Smuggle's cloak, pinning her against the wall. Ezio then readied his hidden blade for the kill…

The Smuggler looked up and he could see her face past her hood. She looked young for her age, with full cheeks and short black hair. She reminds Ezio of Rosa somewhat, and he again found himself left with a bitter taste in his mouth at the thought of slaying someone so beautiful…

He steeled past it as the Smuggler shouted at him angrily: "Why do you do this to me? I have done nothing wrong!"

"You lie. You have killed, and threatened to kill again. For this you must be punished"

"I haven't killed! I never killed! That shop-owner would have been my first one!"

"Then how did you acquire that hidden blade that you use?" Ezio asked angrily. In the back of his mind he chastised himself for continuing this conversation with his target. Really he should have finished her by now.

"I did not kill an assassin…I am a Smuggler. I deal in rare and hard-to-find things. This hidden blade was one such item. I decided that it would look better on me…"

Ezio snorted in contempt. A Templar using a hidden blade was the closest thing he could call to sacrilegious. He prepared to make the fatal lunge with his own. Seeing this, the Smuggler became pleading.

"No please don't! I told you, I never killed anyone! Please! Let me go!"

Ezio held pause. Any other one of his targets would have been long dead by now, but this one had apparently not killed. He of course, had no way to take her at her word, and at any rate, the life of an Assassin was not one of mercy. They stayed their blade from the flesh of the innocent but no one else. As a Templar, this woman was subject to death, killer or no.

And yet again he found himself unnerved by the woman's beauty and also her resemblance to Rosa. He criticized himself for his extremely unprofessional thinking. He could not spare someone wicked simply because of their looks. But was this one really wicked? Again, he had no way of knowing for sure…

Ezio lunged forward and the Smuggler screamed. But then she opened her eyes and found the Hidden Blade jammed in the side of the wall, mere inches from her head.

"Disappear" Ezio replied bluntly. "Sever all your ties with the Borgia family and the Templar order, and do not ever let me see you again. And if I learn that you have killed, you will die. Understood?"

The Smuggler stared at him shell-shocked for a moment before nodding. Then, in another lightning-like motion, Ezio scaled up a nearby building and disappeared, leaving the terrified Smuggler alone.

**Author's Note: And that's the end of part 1. And no, I am not a chauvinist or a misogynist, but I had to think of some way to keep the Smuggler alive, and this way seemed like it fit Ezio's character somewhat. He is, after all, a known lady's man and sucker for a pretty face…**


	2. Doctor's Visit

Chapter 2: Doctor's Visit  
>The world swam as Lia de Russo slowly opened her eyes. It was dim where she was, and she felt like she had tunnel-vision as things refused to come into focus. She couldn't understand where she was or what was going on. Her mind was foggy and she felt a pounding headache as well, not to mention that she felt her arms and and legs bound together with strong rope. The smuggler wracked her brains trying to figure out where she was. As the world finally came into focus and she started looking around the darkened room, she tried to think back to what had happened. She had remembered running in a panic after the assassin had spared her life, not caring where she ran to so long as she could get as far away as possible.<p>

What had happened next was still foggy. She had remembered going into a bar and getting a drink...then she slept for a long time...

She had been drugged obviously. But by who? Who on Earth could want anything to do with her? She didn't exactly have a prominent public image. Most of Rome probably didn't even know she existed...

Lia heard a door open ever slowly with a painful creaking sound. She heard heavy boots land on the wooden floor, sending out another creaking noise as they pressed down hard on the floor-boards.

"Good morning _Amore mio_. Sleep well?"

It was a voice as hollow and lifeless as a graveyard. Lia panicked as she started to struggle in an attempt to free herself with her hidden blade...and realized for the first time that her wrist was bare.

"Don't bother _Amore mio_" the voice said. "You didn't seriously believe that I would be so stupid as to leave that on you did you?

The Smuggler's blood froze and she began to panic and struggle even more fiercely to no avail. Undeterred, the figure moved closer to her. Lia looked up and was greeted with a white mask with a beak and goggles amidst an ocean of blackness. Seeing this, Lia's fear was increased tenfold. She knew who this was. Every Templar agent did.

"Malfatto..."

The Doctor gave no hint of emotion as he nodded silently and then turned to a nearby table. Lia's gaze fell upon the same table as her whole body shook in fear and her mind raced with horrific thoughts and images of what the sadistic monster could do to her. The Doctor was infamous amongst all of the Templars for how he ruthlessly murdered women, and also feared by all for his deadly arsenal. The Doctor needed no swords, guns, hammers, or hidden blades to perform his atrocities. No, he simply used what any doctor used. The kind of things that had made doctors throughout Europe infamous for killing far more patients then they ever saved. Indeed, even now, Lia could hear the madman sifting through various "doctoral" tools and items more fit for a depraved psychopath then a doctor. But then again he was that too.

Finally, she heard the doctor sharpening a blade of some kind and she found herself close to vomiting. Her mind kicked into survival mode at this point, continuing to struggle as the Doctor came towards her with a large knife in hands.

"You know _Amore mio_, I really am a Doctor at heart. I have made many discoveries on how the human body works with my..."studies". It is just a shame that I always end up losing my patients..."

The Doctor moved forward and stroked Lia de Russo's face. At that, she launched out with both of her legs, giving all of the strength she could muster as she kicked the psychotic misogynist back. She kicked again and again, cracking Malfatto's mask as she did. She heard the Doctor's knife clatter to the floor.

Rolling off the table, the Smuggler inched her way over to where the Doctor's knife lay. Rolling on her back as she neared it, she grabbed it and started to cut her binds...

She felt a kick to the side of the face. Reeling back in pain, she tightened her grip around the knife so she wouldn't drop it and kept cutting.

_"Cagna! "_Malfatto shouted. Lia ignored him and kept cutting, fervently, until finally the ropes broke apart. The second they did, Lia lunged outwards with the knife.

Her intuition was spot-on. She felt a cut and heard the Doctor let out a cry of pain as he staggered backwards. She could see blood on the floor and on the knife. Hurriedly using the knife to cut the rope binding her legs, the Smuggler stood up and looked around for her hidden blade. Seeing it on the table where the Doctor kept all of his sick tools of the trade, she grabbed it and bolted for the door. She felt Malfatto's strong and painful vice grip on her shoulder. She spun around and stuck the knife into his side. Malfatto screamed in pain again and Lia kicked him back. Throwing open the door, she bolted out and slammed it shut before sprinting away as fast as she possibly could.

She just kept running. Running as fast as she could through the streets of Rome. She could not possibly get far enough away from that monster but was willing to settle for being on the other side of the city.

So she kept going. She wouldn't stop, no matter how much her mind and body cried out for a break. So single-minded was she in her goal of escaping Malfatto that she did not notice someone walking into her ongoing path until it was too late.

Lia de Russo collided head-long into a man wearing a white hooded cape, disorienting the both of them as the man screamed out in shock and surprise. Fighting off the dizziness and ignoring the screams, Lia tried to push past him but he held her back.

"Aye, aye...bella donna, what is the matter?"

The Smuggler looked up and could see exactly who she had run into. He was a young man, clean-shaven except for a small tuft of black facial hair on his chin. He wore a short white hooded cape like the assassin who had spared her, along with mostly red clothing with a brown sleeveless coat over the shirt, half-red and half-white sleeves and brown gloves. With her sharp eyes and keen observation, she could also see that he, like her, bore a hidden blade.

Panicking as she remembered the vow the assassin had made to her, the Smuggler attempted to bolt forward again but the man held her.

"Hey easy, easy. What's wrong?"

"Let go of me!" The Smuggler snapped. To her surprise, the man obliged and released his grip on her. The two looked at one another for a moment, Lia's whole body still shaking all over from the stress of her near-death experience at Malfatto's hands.

"Are you sure you're all right? You are shaking all over."

"I'm fine!" Lia snapped again. She had never been a social person and after what she had been through recently, she was in even less of a mood to talk. She would have kept running in fact before the physical strain it had taken on her began to make itself known. She was feeling exhausted as her heart pounded fiercely and rapidly. She couldn't run anymore as much as she wanted to.

Seeing the hidden blade, the man said: "I see that you wear on your arm a hidden blade. And as you have no doubt noticed I wear one as well. Perhaps we have some things in common?"

The Smuggler snorted in contempt. "I have nothing in common with you"

"Really? And yet we both wield the same weapon. A weapon that is hard-to-find amongst those who are not of the fabled assassins..."

The Smuggler found herself losing her patience. She was exhausted, her body was still shaking, and the last thing she wanted at the moment was to play games with a possible assassin.

"Look, I'm not an assassin, so could you please just get to the point already? I am not in the mood to be toyed with"

The man looked over both of his shoulders before directing the Smuggler to a deserted alcove nearby. Once they were out of earshot, he whispered into her ear: "My name is Il Lupo. The Templar order has dubbed me "The Prowler"

Lia's eyes widened as she finally understood. A fellow Templar, this one wearing the clothes and weapons of an assassin. Lia wasn't sure if she felt better or worse now that she knew it was a Templar she had run into and not an assassin.  
>Seeing her grow uneasy once more, the Prowler said: "I see that you have been on edge this entire time. Did you run into an assassin?"<p>

She sighed deeply. Now that she knew the man was an assassin she knew that there would be no walking away from the conversation.

"Yes, but my encounter with him paled in comparison to what befell me not long ago. Tell me, do you know of Malfatto?"

"I believe that is the doctor...yes, what of hi-"

The Prowler stopped short as it dawned on him what the Smuggler was getting at. His face took on one of empathetic apology, at least as far as she could tell, as the hood obscured a good part of his face.

"I am sorry. I've heard the stories of what the mad-man does to women. Are you sure you're OK?"

The Smuggler nodded. Putting a hand on her shoulder in a compassionate manner, he whispered into her ear: "Well, since I now know that you are an ally, I have a proposition for you. It would certainly keep you out of Malfatto's path"

The Smuggler's ears perked up. The idea of never having to worry about that monster again was certainly an attractive one. "I am listening"

The Prowler nodded. "As you may have noticed bella donna, I wear the clothing and wield the weapons of an assassin. This is because I have been trained to imitate one, and assigned to infiltrate their ranks. I have one of the most important tasks of all the Templars: I am to destroy the Assassins from within, or at the least leave them crippled before I am discovered. Needless to say, I would not mind some assistance with this act of sabotage. Would you be willing to assist me? After all, you wield a hidden blade and know how to use it. Imitating an assassin would be easy for you"

Lia considered. The Prowler had unknowingly put her in a somewhat tight spot. The assassin had agreed to spare her on the condition she sever her ties with the Templars and the Borgia. And now here was a Templar asking for her assistance in destroying the assassin's order from within. If caught, no force on Earth would save her. The wise thing to do would be to politely decline the Prowler's offer and disappear. Leave Rome and never come back. Maybe go to Constantinople or something like that...

But what if the Prowler grew violent and/or insistent if she refused? True, he was impeccably polite and kind by Templar assassin standards, but she had no way of knowing if it was a facade or not, or if he would lose his temper...

She shook her head. She could refuse him. She would, she...

"Il Lupo!"

Lia's heart skipped a beat as she and the Prowler turned to see a man with a pleasant enough demeanor clad in blue clothing with a curly moustache, brown boots, and a green cloak.

"Il Lupo, there you are! I have been looking all throughout the district for you. The grand-master has called all of the assassins back for some big assignment or somesuch. So I was sent out to round them all up.

"Uh...thank you Luigi..."

"Luigi"'s gaze turned to Lia de Russo, making her uneasy.

"And who is this?"

The Prowler and the Smuggler exchanged an awkward glance. It was a silent one, and subtle enough that hopefully Luigi would not catch on to what was really going on. Finally, Il Lupo turned to Luigi and said:

"Just...a new recruit into the Assassin's order Luigi. She is with me"

"Ah, very good, very good...always a good thing to have new recruits in the fight against the evil Borgia. But please, please, come now. We must return to the base. I will be sure to tell the grandmaster that you have a new apprentice for us..."

"Wait..." Lia said, her heart racing once more. "Who is the grand-master?"

Luigi turned to her, with a slight smile on his face.

"Why, Ezio Auditore da Firenze of course"

**Author's Note: And that's the end of that. And yes, Luigi is an original character, and a reference to Uncle Mario and Super Mario Bros. **

**As for the Doctor, I feel I have to be nitpicky here: they actually did not have syringes back then. I know this, being a history nut, and while it is true that it was the Renaissance, people were still woefully ignorant where medical science was concerned. There were no syringes back then. Thus, Malfatto in my story uses the things that an actual doctor used back then. Which, incidentally, makes him much more terrifying and disturbing, not to mention more historically accurate.**

**And as for the Italian words I used...**  
><strong>Amore Mio: My DearMy Treasure**  
><strong>Cagna: Bitch<strong>  
><strong>Bella Donna: Beautiful woman<strong>


	3. Assassin Boot Camp

Assassin Boot Camp

"I cannot believe that you got me into this" Lia de Russo whispered angrily to Il Lupo when she was certain that the two were out of ear-shot.

"Well what was I supposed to do?" Il Lupo whispered back, barely audible. "Luigi was right there. Besides, this is not so bad. We are now both in the belly of the beast together, and no place is safer from other Templars like Malfatto"

"I _knew _I should have gone to Constantinople..." The Smuggler grumbled bitterly. She instinctively checked her hidden blade despite knowing how if she was discovered she'd be as good as dead. Her anxiety still hadn't completely dissipated from her two near-death experiences, and now that she was in the (admittedly nice-looking) lion's den, she was on edge again.

Taking notice of this, the Prowler attempted to place a hand on her shoulder but she shook him off and turned her back to him, her pretty face taking on a venomous scowl.

"Hey, easy. I'm only trying to help bella donna"

"Which you can do by staying a few feet away from me!" She replied rudely. "And could you please stop calling me that?"

The Prowler's face took on a disappointed expression. "What, can a man not compliment a pretty face when he sees it?"

The Smuggler rolled her eyes. She hadn't expected a Templar assassin to be the flirtatious or romantic sort. Of all the people she had been stuck with…

There was a knock on the door. Lia's heart skipped a beat as she instinctively raised her hidden blade before Il Lupo held up his hand as an indication for her to lower her weapon. Il Lupo went to the door and opened it. On the other end waiting for them were Luigi and another man. Lia took in his appearance: he was taller then Luigi, with a face that was worn and had lines that showed that the man had already been through too much in life. His brown hair was very closely cropped, and he wore a red shirt with a white collar, a large brown belt that looked more like a sash, and a black coat with only one sleeve that was missing its middle third.

"Here they are Machiavelli. This is the woman Il Lupo recruited for the brotherhood"

Machiavelli. So that was who he was. Lia de Russo mentally kicked herself for not recognizing him immediately. She had certainly heard plenty of stories of him. His cynicism was legendary, as was his ruthlessness against his enemies. Now she was really done for if she was discovered.

Machiavelli eyed Lia de Russo with an unforgiving expression, his eyes looking her over in such a way that she felt like a prostitute being inspected by her manager. Or a slave by her master. Lia couldn't decide which was more demeaning.

Finally Machiavelli concluded his examination and then turned his gaze to Il Lupo.

"And…where exactly did you find this woman?"

"Near the docks. She was a sea-faring merchant, dealing in stuff the Borgia didn't want being sold. They sent some men after her, I drove them off, and she offered to join us. We then went further into the city until we ran into Luigi"

Lia was privately impressed. The Prowler certainly knew how to concoct a story on the spot. But would Machiavelli fall for it?

For another moment there was silence. Machiavelli's stern gaze gave no quarter and the Smuggler was left without any inkling to what he was thinking. Finally though, he nodded, having apparently fallen for the ruse, and then said: "she can begin training with the other novices tomorrow. Until then, you Il Lupo, will be responsible for managing her."

Il Lupo nodded. "Of course Machiavelli"

And no sooner had they come Machiavelli and Luigi departed, shutting the door behind them. Lia breathed a sigh of relief.

"Machiavelli is one of these assassins. _Madre di Dio_. As if I wasn't in enough of a lion's den already"

"Ah come on. He believed my story. You'll be fine. Machiavelli's got too much on his mind to worry about one suspicious recruit"

"Your infinite optimism is so reassuring" Lia replied coldly, sarcasm dripping with every word.

"Whatever made you so cynical Smuggler?" Il Lupo asked curiously.

"Whatever made you, the supposed Templar assassin, _"Il Lupo"_ in the flock, so damned polite?"

The Prowler shook his head and made a "tsk tsk" sound. "Ah, this is going to be a long partnership, I can tell…"

-X-

_It was dark. So very dark…the streets were empty, every house was pitch black inside and out, and the air was cold. She wrapped her green cloak more tightly around herself and pulled down hard on her hood as she kept walking._

_Another blast of cold wind sent shivers down her spine as she swept around and walked down an alleyway. As she did, her ears picked up a faint sound. Whipping around, she saw nothing. Turning back around, her brown boot almost stepped on a large and disgusting rat that then scampered away. Lia pulled back with revulsion._

_Backing away slowly, a gloved hand suddenly clamped over her mouth and pulled her backwards. Lia struggled fiercely, popping out her hidden blade just as she was thrown up against a wall by her assailant. And it was then that she saw him: that white mask with a beak, the black hat, and the dark green robes that covered his entire body. He was hunching over like a predator about to pounce on its prey, and in his hand he held a meat cleaver. It disturbed Lia even more to know that behind those goggles on that white mask were a pair of eyes staring at her. Eyes that she knew contained not an ounce of humanity or remorse or empathy. No soul…_

Lia de Russo woke up in a cold sweat, screaming and gasping as she threw off the blankets and sheets of her bed and popped out her hidden blade with a snap, holding it at the ready as if there were a group of men surrounding her with swords drawn. Her eyes scanned the dark room as her heart pounded in her chest. The door opened and Lia whipped around in its direction, her hidden blade aimed at whoever was coming. As it turned out, the figure was Il Lupo.

"What's wrong Lia? I heard you screaming. And why do you have your hidden blade out?"

"I sleep with it at all times…" Lia grumbled

"Well, you're cautious, I can say that for you. But what happened?"

Lia hesitated to say. She didn't want to admit that she'd had a nightmare. Didn't want to admit that she would be so weak. But the word came out of her mouth anyway.

"Nightmare"

"Of Malfatto?"

She looked at him darkly, but nevertheless nodded.

"Right…I'm sorry…"

"Don't be. I'll be fine."

"Well, I hope so. Can't bring down the entire Assassin's order by myself after all"

Lia looked surprised and Il Lupo responded with a wink and a grin. She rolled her eyes in response. Il Lupo responded: "You should probably try and get some more rest. It will be morning soon, and that…is when things will become difficult."

-X-

The sun had barely risen when Lia de Russo was wakened by someone shaking her again and again. Lia's eyes snapped open and she grabbed the throat of the man shaking her before seeing it was Il Lupo. Calming down, she released her grip on him.

"Sorry…I…"

"Its OK, its OK. My, you are a fierce one Lia de Russo…"

"Why did you wake me up? Its barely even dawn!"

"Ah yes, well…I had said that when morning came, your training would begin, and, uh…its morning now"

Lia's eyes widened in horror. "What? But the sun's barely even out! I—"

"Yes, I was thinking all of these things myself when I first joined. But, take my word when I say there's no use complaining. Its like shouting at the wind. Now come. We must hurry. Machiavelli does not like stragglers."

"Maciavelli?"

-X-

Machiavelli was the one who trained the newest recruits in the Assassin's Order before handing them over to Ezio to call upon. And as Lia found on the very first day, he was anything but a gentle instructor.

He was blunt, for one thing, at least when speaking to the recruits like her. He wasted no time telling them all why they were there, what their duty was, and what he expected from them. He also threw in the insincere reassurance that any who did not meet his expectations would still end up serving the order in some way…just in a non-combative role. Lia could tell that he had clearly hated having to say that last part, and figured that if it were all up to him he would have already thrown half of them out by now and never see any one of them again.

No sooner had Machiavelli finished his _very _brief and to-the-point introduction did he organize all of the recruits into groups and rows and spent the rest of the day drilling them in the ways and methods of the assassins, and how to be a proper assassin. Lia doubted that she had ever done and learned so much in one day before, and it was exhausting to say the least. After the first three hours or so her head was pounding, her body ached, and her ears were sore from the clanging of steel, the banging of one piece of metal against another piece of metal, and above all Machiavelli's constant lecturing, ordering, instructing, berating, and insulting of his recruits. Among the torrent of acidic deadpan remarks made by the man included: "took you three shots to hit your target? What do you think this is, an archery range?"

"For G-d's sake! This sword looked like you puked on it! Dull and rusty blades will get you nothing but an early grave"

"If I gave you a piece of gold could you at least pretend to try and wield that hidden blade properly?"

And on and on it went, for hours on end, until finally, after Lia was sure that at least half of the day had gone by, Machiavelli called an end to the training and told them to be back at the designated area the next day to be drilled in more specific tasks. Lia could tell that she was far from the only assassin who felt compelled to use their hidden blade to slit their own throat.


	4. Initiation

Initiation

Dawn had barely come when Lia de Russo forced herself up for another day of Assassin training. Her leg, which had received a nasty cut from a practice spar two days earlier, cried out in protest, but Lia steeled her way past the pain and hobbled over to the courtyard of the Villa. Along the way, she bumped into Il Lupo, who was holding a glass and bottle of wine. Lia's eyes narrowed in on the wine desperately as she realized that she had been eating and drinking so little over the last few days. Usually after training was done she was just content to lie down and fall asleep then wake up the next day and resume training. None of it had really left much room for nourishment.

"Where did you get that?" Lia demanded with a mix of desperation and envy.

"Found it. You do realize we live at a villa right? Here, have some"

Il Lupo offered her his glass. Needing no other invitation, Lia grabbed it, tilted her head back and downed the whole glass. Il Lupo just looked on with a raised eyebrow as she wiped away the wine that was now trickling down her lips and mouth.

"You're not very lady-like are you?"

"Just figure that out?" Lia brushed past Il Lupo but then stopped and, ever so slowly, turned back around and said: "thanks for the wine"

Il Lupo smiled. "Don't mention it…you're running late now by the way"

"Merda!"

-X-

Lia de Russo burst in as Machiavelli was in the process of readjusting an initiate's faulty sword-posture. His gaze turned to her.

"Ah, Il Falco. Finally arrived. I do so hope that coming here wasn't a terrible inconvenience to you" Machiavelli said sarcastically. "As it so happens, you've come just in time for an especially important lesson: pickpocketing"

Lia raised an eyebrow. "Pickpocketing?"

"Yes, pickpocketing. So sorry if you were expecting something less hazardous to your health. Anyway: as much as it seems like a task only lower-class hoodlums would engage in, pickpocketing is actually a common way by which we acquire important items from our targets. After all, "hide in plain sight" is one of the three core rules of the order, so pickpocketing is often one of the only ways we can get items of import from the enemy whilst still maintaining the creed. Therefore, you will all be learning how to pickpocket. As to how, well, I've arranged for someone special to come here and play the part of a hapless noble whose pockets you are to pick. In her pocket is a bag full of coins. Anyone who can take it from her without being noticed gets to keep it"

Some of the apprentices clearly liked the sound of that, muttering amongst themselves. Machiavelli turned and a young woman, younger then Lia de Russo entered the courtyard. She wore knee-high boots, pants, sleeves, and a corset of a dark brown color. Over her corset she wore a stylish sleeveless blue coat with poofed up shoulders and stripes the same color as the rest of her wear. She also had a white blouse and blue finger-less gloves. Her hair was short and dirty blonde, and her demeanor was pleasant, but strangely enough, Lia could see the broken half of a scissor on her belt.

"This is Faustina Collari. She used to be one of the Templars, now she's one of us."

Faustina nodded and the lesson began in earnest. Most of the recruits, including Lia, were smart and cautious enough to hang back and let it play out, all waiting for an opportune moment and thinking about how specifically they could take the money from Faustina. But while Lia and most of the other recruits hanged back however, two succumbed to the temptation of winning the prize and moved in. One was painfully direct, and got his arm twisted behind his back and kicked for his recklessness. The second at least tried to be subtle, but wasn't terribly successful in said attempts and he too received physical punishment for his troubles. Lia could see a watching Machiavelli shake his head and make a "tsk tsk" noise.

"*Sigh*. Is that all? Surely more of you think you have what it takes to outsmart me…"

More recruits tried their hand. And all had a similar level of success as the first two. To their credit though, each recruit who tried was smarter about it then the last. They tried everything ranging from the "bump into" trick, a two-man effort, to flattery and faux-flirting as a distraction, but Faustina was savvy to every trick in the book. Eventually, after around 20 or so recruits tried and failed, the whole group elected to give up. Faustina then addressed them all: "Well, I must say, you all improved over the course of this. I dare you say some of you almost had me. But I know every single one of those methods you tried and then some. I never expected any of you to succeed. That said, had you tried some of those later methods on anyone less savvy, I guarantee…"

Faustina whipped around when she felt something leave her pocket too late. There Lia de Russo stood with the bag of coins in her brown-gloved hand, her lips formed into a sly smirk of victory.

"Bit of advice: never stop to gloat"

Faustina returned Lia's smile with one of her own. "Congratulations. You actually managed to beat me at my own game." She turned back around to face the others: "And there you go recruits: she just gave you all one more means of making a successful theft when all else has failed"

The other recruits nodded in acknowledgement. Machiavelli stepped forward. "I believe that that is all for today. I expect you all here tomorrow where I will teach you to finally use your damn hidden blades properly"

Lia smiled. Amazingly, at least half of the recruits were still having trouble with the device. Many it seemed simply could not get out of their illusion that the hidden blade was somehow a sword and was to be used as such.

As Lia exited with the other novices, Machiavelli stopped her. He looked at her for a moment with that uncompromising gaze of his that always unnerved her before saying: "Nice job today Falco. I'm also impressed at how quickly you've mastered the hidden blade."

"Uh…thank you sir"

"Mmm, yes. Well, just don't go spreading my praise around. You know I don't give it lightly"

"Uh, yes, thank you sir"

-X-

The next few days came and went in much the same way Lia's first few had. But her success with Faustina Collari gave her a slight boost in confidence and with it, energy. Not to mention that she now had more respect amongst her fellow recruits. Finally, after almost a week of training, Machiavelli gathered Lia and her fellow recruits, most of them anyway, into a separate and much more ornate-looking room. In the center of the room was a brazier with flames dancing within. Niccolo Machiavelli walked to the Brazier and spoke to them: "Laa shay'a waqi'un moutlaq bale kouloun moumkine. The wisdom of our creed is revealed through these words. You have all come far in your training. You may not have done it gracefully, and I still think that at least half of you could use a bit more work, but as far as the grandmaster is concerned, you have earned this moment. And that is good enough for me. Your moment of initiation is at hand"

At this, the doors opened, and in he stepped. The room froze, time slowed to a stand-still, and Lia's heart threatened to leap out of her chest as she saw the man who had come so close to ending her life. Ezio Auditore da Firenze. Grand-master of the Assassins.

Sweat trickled down Lia's forehead. What would he do when he saw and recognized her face? Would he expose her and kill her? Or would he welcome her as a former enemy who had seen the light? She had no idea but as it stood she was not exactly leaning towards the more hopeful and optimistic outcome.

He walked forward, to the front of the Brazier, and beckoned the first of several apprentices to walk up to him. Lia recognized him from training as Senza Volto. Without hesitation, he made his way to where Ezio stood, right near the brazier, and Machiavelli spoke: "Where other men blindly follow the truth, remember…"

"Nothing is true" Senza Volto replied

Machiavelli continued without emotion: "Where other men are limited by morality or law, remember…"

"Everything is permitted" Senza Volto replied again.

Machiavelli continued, finishing: "We work in the dark to serve the light. We are Assassins. Nothing is true, everything is permitted"

Lia found herself more then a little shaken by what she had just heard. _I'm stuck on an island full of fanatics _she thought. What on Earth had she let that idiot Il Lupo get her into?

Lia's eyes then widened in horror and her terror and revulsion increased when she saw another assassin put some hot branders in the brazier and brand Senza Volto's ring-finger, which he had extended. To her mild amazement, he didn't scream. But he did wince. _Well, who wouldn't? _She thought. _And there is no way that I am letting these zealots…_

But as Lia was thinking this, Senza left and another recruit had already gone through the exact same motions, leaving with a burned ring over her middle finger. To Lia's horror, she could see that there was only one recruit between her and her own initiation. She realized then that escape of any kind from her current predicament was hopeless. She had decided to help the Prowler put on his façade and now she had to play her part to the fullest. There was no going back…

As the recruit in front of her went through the process, gasping in pain as the branding took place, Lia winced. But, as she saw, Ezio placed his hand on the pained recruit's shoulder in a compassionate fatherly manner. The recruit smiled at him and then walked off to the same destination the others had gone.

And now it was Lia de Russo's turn. Never spiritual in her life and not taught by the Templars to ever bother, Lia still found herself silently praying to whatever divine presence, celestial being, and/or other otherworldly greater powers that might be out there. As she walked forwards, she tried to keep her hood over her eyes, but it did her no good: Ezio still saw her.

Lia stopped dead in her tracks but then she saw that his demeanor had not changed at all. If he recognized her, he did not appear to be showing it. Deciding not to push her luck, Lia went up to the Brazier. Machiavelli spoke to her: "Where other men blindly follow the truth, remember…"

"Nothing is true" Lia de Russo replied, desperately trying to force out the fear in her voice and say the nihilistic oath with as much conviction as she could muster, or more accurately feign.

"Where other men are limited by morality or law, remember…"

"Everything is permitted" Lia De Russo replied again. That one came easier, but only, she suspected, because she had always sort of believed that, albeit for more selfish reasons…

Machiavelli continued, finishing: "We work in the dark to serve the light. We are Assassins. Nothing is true, everything is permitted"

Now it was time for the branding. Lia cautiously moved forward, took off one of her brown gloves, and nervously held out one of her pinkies. Yes, it was feeble, even she could admit that, but she desperately hoped that they'd buy it anyway.

They did. The brander brought his hot metal tongs to her pinky and Lia felt a sharp and sudden burning pain that hurt more then anything else in her life thus far but thankfully it was short. Lia smothered a scream and then nodded respectfully to Ezio. As she turned and walked away, following the same route the other recruits had taken, she could see among those gathered Il Lupo, smiling at her, and even winking playfully. Lia rolled her eyes a little but nevertheless smiled back as she went out. Going the same way the other Assassins did, she found herself led to the very top of the building, just as the initiate before her walked off the edge.

Lia's heart again skipped a beat before reminding herself that this was just the final part of the test. The one part that Machiavelli had actually bothered to tell them about in great detail:

_The Leap of Faith._

Faith. That was ironic, considering the maxim, but Lia nevertheless walked up. Her heart pounded more fiercely now, the more rational part of her mind urging her not to do it. Sure, she had practiced it, they all had, but there was always that fear. Always that fear that she really would die. That her faith, assuming she even had any, would fail her.

Lia thought about how she could avoid this. There was one Assassin there. She should abandon it. Abandon it all. Just attack the fool and run. But run to where? They were on an island, and she knew she would never live long enough to reach the boats. And assassinate an assassin? Lia despaired silently as she realized how utterly hopeless and futile it all was. Once again, she realized, she would have no choice but to see it through. She would either succeed or die. At least here there was a chance for survival.

Lia closed her eyes, and, without much thought, ran forward, content to not stretch it out but rather be done with it, whatever the outcome, in a quick and painless fashion.

Sprinting forward, she leaped off the ledge and went plummeting. For a brief moment, there was a rush of wind and air, her heart beating ever faster and then…

She splashed into the cold waters below.

-X-

Lia de Russo scrambled out of the water as fast as she possibly could panting and gasping for air all the way. She swallowed down as much oxygen as she could. Tears ran down her eyes from the pain of it all before finally rising to her feet. There to greet her where Ezio, Il Lupo, and the other recruits who had completed the initiation, all now soaking wet like her.

"Well" Ezio said. "Usually the recruits are supposed to just walk off the ledge and let their body do the rest rather then run off, but, it was an impressive display nonetheless and you completed your Leap of Faith without dying anyway, so as far as I am concerned, you have completed your initiation."

Ezio held out his hand and Lia de Russo could see a smile underneath his hooded face.

"Welcome to the Brotherhood"

**Author's Note: And that's the end of that. As a side-note, "Il Falco" means "The Falcon" in Italian. I figured it would make a nice alias for Lia since I don't think she'd be keen on using her real name.**


	5. First Mission

First Mission

"Nothing is true, everything is permitted". Sounds pretty nihilistic too me." Lia said when she and Il Lupo were alone in her room. Il Lupo said nothing in response as she continued: "And how does it even make any sense? I mean, if nothing is true, why are we even fighting? I mean if our ideals aren't even true, what's the point?"

The Prowler chuckled. "Yes, I wondered the same thing myself when I first joined. I don't think its meant to be taken literally"

"Just seems kind of ridiculous to me…"

"Well, if I had to hazard a guess, I believe the "nothing is true" part is how we are not supposed to bind ourselves to one single truth, the way, say, a religious zealot might. They don't mean that literally nothing is true. Just that one single truth isn't to be adhered to mindlessly"

"Not even this one?"

"Well, maybe this one. But who knows? After all, I'm not really an assassin now am I?"

The Smuggler chuckled lightly at that. "No, I suppose you're not"

Lia's demeanor quickly became serious however. She was reminded of how this whole initiation into the assassin's order was just a façade, and that eventually they would sell them all out to the wrath of the Borgia and the Templar order. She grew more anxious just thinking about the inevitable betrayal, and said: "how long are we going to be playing assassin? I don't know how much longer I want to keep up this illusion. And they're not idiots. If we don't move they'll figure us out eventually"

"Patience bella do—Lia. The Assassins will fall in due time. I'm just waiting for the opportune moment"

"And when exactly would that be? When we're surrounded by over a dozen angry assassins with swords drawn?"

The Prowler's face took on one of disappointment, but Lia could tell that it was fake.

"May I ask you something? Have I ever given you a reason not to trust me? Exactly. Just follow my lead…bella donna"

Lia looked at him dumbfounded, before her surprise and bewilderment turned to anger and incredulousness as the Prowler's grin widened.

"You presumptuous good-for-nothing…"

Lia was interrupted by a knock on the door. Swearing under her breath, she walked over and opened the door and saw Luigi on the other end.

"What is it?"

"Niccolo Machiavelli and Francesco Vecellio have just summoned all of the most recent apprentices into the main hall. Your first mission is to be given out today"

-X-

He was a man of medium height, with a tendency to slouch slightly. He wore a white mask that covered his entire face save his mouth, by which his black goatee was visible. He wore over his head a gold-ish colored hat, and his clothing was surprisingly ornate. He wore a blue coat with a gold trim and white fur that went around his neck and draped down his shoulders. His shirt was red with gold buttons, and his sleeves were golden. He wore over his hands gloves that were white with red palms and held in said hands a crude-looking device that the courier took as his weapon. The Courier was mildly impressed. For a supposed pariah he looked incredibly well-dressed. If not for the mask the courier would have likely mistaken him for a noble. And indeed, curiosity about the mask got the better of him…

"Why do you wear that mask over your face?" the Courier asked

The Pariah, Ilario Lombardi, turned to him, and though the black slits on the mask that served as eye-holes obscured his eyes, the courier could almost feel the Pariah's angry glare fall upon him.

"Occupational hazard" The Pariah grumbled bitterly.

"I see…"

The Courier walked off and got into the awaiting the carriage as the Pariah shook his head. He hated being asked about his face. It was the source of his status as an outcast in Roman society. With but a few hideous scars now marking his once handsome face, all the money he possessed had become all but meaningless. It wasn't long after that that he fully the Templar order he had previously been only loosely affiliated with,

Ilario shook his head and turned to the accompanying seekers.

"Keep your eyes peeled and those halberds at the ready. The assassins will be here, I'm sure of it, and if they succeed in killing the courier, _all_ of our lives our forfeit. Understood?"

The seekers nodded. Satisfied, the Pariah turned to the silver-armored sergeant who led the guard patrol accompanying him and the seekers.

"Tell all of your men to move out. We're going now"

The sergeant nodded and walked off to give out the orders to the rest of his men. Meanwhile, the pariah fingered his unique bolt-pistol. The thing was of an unusual design, and it was crude to be sure, but Ilario did not care. It was effective, and it eliminated the need to dirty his fine clothes with a knife or some other crude thing when performing his murders. But if only he could get an actual gun like those arquebusiers had…

No matter. His weapon of choice would do its job when the time came…

-X-

Lia de Russo and Il Lupo lied in wait on a perch that overlooked the small convoy passing through the darkened streets. Their presence cloaked by the shadows and buildings, Lia whispered to Il Lupo: "So remind me…what exactly are we looking for?"

"A courier. He's delivering something very special to Cesare Borgia. The grandmaster doesn't want Cesare getting it."

"So we're going to kill the courier?"

"If we have to yes. But the main target is the package itself. We find out what it is, and either make off with it or destroy it if necessary. Were you listening to _any_ part of the briefing bella donna?" 

"Oh shut up. And I told you to stop—"

The two were cut off when they saw another assassin apprentice off in the distance, perched on the opposite side of the street. He was silently gesturing to them, giving them a signal to move in. Il Lupo nodded in response.

"That's our cue. Get your sword and hidden blade ready Lia. Things are about to get messy"

-X-

An arrow whizzed through the air, striking a seeker in the back and managing to pierce his armor. He let out a gasp of pain, dropped his polearm and fell to the floor dead. Immediately seizing on what was happening, Ilaro swore under his breath and grabbed the sergeant's pistol side-arm from him, firing it off in the direction of the arrow.

"We're under attack! The assassins are here! Protect the courier!"

More arrows whizzed through the air, cutting down the unarmored lesser guards stuck in their path. Launching a litany of curses under his breath, the Pariah bolted, shoving a confused seeker to one side and running to catch up with the carriage now speeding away.

Another arrow whizzed by. A guard fell of his horse. Seizing on the opportunity, Ilario Lombardi leaped onto the horse and raced forward on it, catching up with the carriage and abandoning his remaining men to their fates…

-X-

Lia de Russo and Il Lupo leaped down with the other assassins into the carnage below. Already apprentices were engaging the remaining guards and seekers with swords, maces, and knives. The bodies were piling up on the guard's side, and Lia could see several more fleeing in fear due to a loss of morale.

"Il Lupo, the courier's carriage is getting away!" One apprentice shouted, pointing at the carriage speeding off into the distance and the knight and fancily-dressed man on horseback following right behind.

Il Lupo nodded and turned to Lia de Russo and another female apprentice: "Our targets are getting away. Follow me"

Lia and the apprentice nodded and rushed forward, ignoring the continued sounds of fighting and carnage as they raced after the last fleeing knight on horseback. Il Lupo gave a signal and another crossbow bolt was fired, this one hitting the knight and knocking him off the horse. Il Lupo turned to Lia and the other apprentice: "You two get on the horse. I'll be right behind you"

Lia and the apprentice did as they were told and leaped onto the creature's back. With Lia at the reigns, the horse bolted forward, going as fast as it could possibly go to catch up with the assassin's quarry.

-X-

Ilario looked over his shoulder and could see two female assassins pursuing him on horseback. Turning back around, Ilario urged his horse to go faster, knowing that he and his pursuers were still a good distance apart and that if he could just cover a bit more ground he would lose them. Too bad the courier's carriage couldn't go as fast…

The group swerved past another street. And still the assassins gave chase. Growing annoyed with the carriage's slowness, he shouted out: "faster you idiot faster!"

The chase continued a while longer before one of the assassins hoisted a crossbow and fired it at the leg of one of the horses pulling the carriage. The shot hit its mark perfectly. The horse let out a neigh of pain and fell into the other horse, which in turn tilted the carriage over and caused it to crash, sliding to a halt as both horses broke free courtesy of the reins twisting and breaking apart.

"Merda!" Shouted the Pariah angrily as he swerved his complaining horse around and sped towards the wreckage. If the package had been damaged, Cesare would have his head. No, he couldn't fail here, not now. Couldn't let the accursed assassins best him again…

Ilario made it to the overturned carriage just as the courier burst out of it bloodied and shaken, but still alive. In his trembling hands he still held the package. The Pariah breathed a sigh of relief. His neck was saved, at least for the moment…

"I have the package! I have the package!"

"Excellent" Ilario replied, raising his bolt-gun. "You're usefulness is now at an end"

With a squeeze of the trigger, the bolt-gun's four-pronged mushroom-headed bolt extended forward with lightning speed and embedded itself into the courier's brain before then retracting. Ilario then grabbed the package and raced back onto his horse…

-X-

Lia saw the body of the man she assumed was the courier and then turned to see the well-dressed masked man running off with a long box under one arm. Urging the horse to go forward, she was too late to stop him from getting back on his mount.

And with that the chase began anew. As Lia and the apprentice continued their pursuit, the knight came up from behind, swinging his sword at the two assassins. The apprentice shouted out a warning and Lia ducked under the next swing of the sword. The apprentice fired out a shot from her crossbow only for it to miss. The second shot just embedded itself into the knight's plate armor but didn't kill him.

"That was my last arrow…"

Desperate to shake the knight, Lia surged forward some more but the knight wouldn't let up. He went at them again…

Lia looked over her shoulder to see Il Lupo leaping into the air, hidden blade snapping out, and then coming down onto the knight on horseback. With one lethally precise stab to the unarmored neck, Il Lupo killed the knight and tossed him off the horse. Now mounted himself, Il Lupo raced alongside Lia and the apprentice.

"Told you I'd catch up"

"How the hell did you…?"

"Fast running and perfect timing Amore Mio. Now come on, let's catch up with out finely dressed friend…"

-X-

Ilario continued his desperate ride through a particularly crowded area of the city, and found it difficult to maneuver his ever-tiring horse through the tight alleyways and tightly grouped houses. Finally though, he made his way out of the area and out into the open again. It was about then when his horse finally began to tire and slowed down. Cursing, Ilario abandoned his steed and raced forward with the box in hand. As he ran, he bumped into a group of seeker-led guards on patrol.

"What are you-?"

Ilario ignored the seeker and shoved him and the others aside, shouting as he continued to run: "Assassins! Assassins are chasing me! Stop them!"

-X-

Lia, Il Lupo, and the apprentice continued their pursuit of the Pariah until they ran right into the group of guards and seekers. Lia and the apprentice leaped off of their horse at the last minute, and Il Lupo did the same, leaping forward and into the horde of seekers, jamming his hidden blade into one as Lia and the apprentice came charging in swords drawn, trading blows with the seekers and guards. Lia was so distracted that she didn't notice one seeker preparing to swing outward with his halberd…

"LIA!"

Turning just in time, Lia dived to one side as the Seeker came running forward with his halberd. Lia ducked under the blade and it wound up striking another seeker. Said seeker let out a cry of pain and staggered back, and Lia took advantage of the chaos to move out of the way, engaging another guard in sword play before she popped out her hidden blade and jammed it into the guard's stomach, killing him instantly.

Lia watched the guard sink to the ground, blood flowing out of his wound. Her first kill as an assassin. It felt…well, truth be told, she wasn't sure how it felt…

Lia shook her head. She could worry about that afterwards. Now she had to keep her head in the game before a guard took it off her shoulders. She dodged the sword strike of another guard and kicked him back. The seeker ran at her again only to be stabbed in the back by the apprentice. As the seeker fell, the remaining guards lost morale and fled. The three assassins dashed off in the direction of the Pariah, chasing him down to another cramped area of town. Il Lupo turned to Lia and the apprentice: "Split up. We'll search the whole area. He can't have gotten far…"

-X-

Ilario found himself stuck in another tight cluster of buildings. Cursing his bad luck, he looked around desperately for a place to hide, and dashed down another alleyway…

He felt a strong kick to the stomach. Gasping in pain, the Pariah fell to his knees and dropped the long-box. Looking up, he could see one of the female assassins looking down at him. Scowling behind his white mask, Ilario grabbed his bolt-gun but the assassin kicked it out of his hands. Grabbing him by his coat, she shoved him up against the wall and popped out her hidden blade…

Ilario stared at it with contempt. Slowly, his hand reached for the pistol he had taken from the guard sergeant. He knew he was unlikely to be able to shoot before she made the killing blow, but he might as well try. He'd survived the hated assassins once, he'd survive them again…

But to the Pariah's surprise, the assassin had not yet killed him…

"Well, what are you waiting for you fool?" The Pariah demanded. "Finish it!"

The assassin made a small smirk and then lowered her hidden blade, releasing Ilario.

"I'm not going to kill you. I'm one of you undercover."

"Undercover? A likely story. I don't know what's in your head woman, but…"

The Pariah raised his gun. "...you just lost your life"

But before Ilario could pull the trigger, his ears picked up the familiar sound of a hidden blade snapping out. Whipping around, he fired at the assassin leaping down at him, but his shot only grazed the assassin's arm. He landed, and lunged with his hidden blade. Ilario grabbed his blade arm, keeping the hidden blade inches from his stomach. With his other hand he kept his gun trained on the female assassin. But then he got a good look at the male assassin's face.

"Wait…I recognize you…you're…"

The Pariah never got to finish his sentence. He suddenly felt a sharp and vicious stabbing pain in his stomach. Looking down, he could see that with his other arm, his assailant had jammed another blade into him, and blood was now dripping on the ground. Looking up weakly, Ilario Lombardi looked on at the man he had realized too late was a fellow Templar, and behind his faceless white mask was nothing but surprise and confusion. And then he collapsed to the ground, dead.

-X-

"You killed him!" Lia shouted in disbelief. Then, taking her voice down to a whisper: "I thought we were really supposed to be on his side"

"Yes, but we're also playing a part. If we're to infiltrate the Assassin's order successfully, we have to be convincing. And if that means that we have to kill an occasional Templar like him to sell the deception, then so be it"

Lia did not respond. She was taken aback by how a man who up until now she had thought of as polite and civil had just turned out to be as callous as any other Templar assassin. He would kill one of his own allies just to sell a deception.

"You are one cold-hearted bastard Il Lupo…"

"Indeed…" Il Lupo turned to the Pariah's fallen body and said: "Requiescat in pace"

He turned back to Lia, who was eyeing the small blade on his right arm that he had used to slay the Pariah.

"That's not a hidden blade…"

"No, its not. It's a facsimile. Before I joined the order, this switchblade the Barber and the Courtesan gave me was how I imitated the assassin's preferred killing style. And even though I've got a real hidden blade now, I still keep this one on me. Never know when it might come in handy…like now"

"Right…"

Lia looked at the Prowler's grazed side and could see how blood was coming out of it from where the bullet hit.

"You've been shot…"

The Prowler winced. "I'll be fine. Don't worry, it only grazed me."

Il Lupo's gaze fell to the long-box which had been dropped to the floor by the Pariah when Lia had kicked him.

"So what do you think that package is?"

"Well, let's find out shall we?"

Walking over to it, Lia picked it up and took off the lid. Inside was a gray-blue sword with a bottom-piece that was vaguely-crown shaped, and a thin guard. The center of the blade appeared translucent, as if it were made of glass, while the left edge was the color of the hilt. The right edge, which was less then half of the length of the full blade was the same. In all, a very unusual-looking sword. In all of her years of trading, smuggling, bartering, and fighting, Lia had never seen anything like it.

"What…what kind of sword is that?"

"No idea, but…it's a special sword. I can tell. Wonder why Cesare wants it though. I was under the impression that he was married to his sword. Don't see why he needs another one…"

The two were interrupted when another Assassin came up to them. Lia recognized him as Senza Volto.

"We have the package" Il Lupo said bluntly. Senza nodded then said: "Then we should leave. You've already caused quite the ruckus. Remember…"

"Hide in plain sight, we know. Hey, where's the other apprentice who was with us?"

It was then that the three assassins heard a gasp of pain. Turning around, they could see the female apprentice limping towards them, bloodied, with torn clothing, and clutching her side. Racing to her, Senza asked: "What happened Cristina?"

Cristina looked up and said weakly: "He…he came out of the shadows. I was looking for the target when he came out of an alley. Grabbed me, tried to kill me with knives and a hatchet…"

"Who?"

"A…a…a doctor"

Lia's blood froze. Not him again, anyone but him…

_Malfatto._

-X-

Malfatto's white (and now cracked) bird mask betrayed no emotion of any kind as the second most powerful man in all of Rome continued to shout and rave at him.

"This is blatant failure! I ordered you to complete the Pariah's mission if the incompetent could not and get me that sword, and you _**did not succeed**_! You didn't even kill the assassins who killed Ilaro! I am a _hair's breadth_ away from… dammit man are you even listening to a word I'm saying?"

The Doctor looked directly at Cesare and bluntly shook his head. Apparently even with his face completely covered he could not fool Cesare into thinking that he cared.

Cesare snorted with contempt. Malfatto decided he might as well try to explain himself in the unlikely event Cesare did try to punish him for his failure.

"With all due respect, I don't think I'm quite cut out to face three assassins in combat. And as it stands, it was Ilaro's fault for panicking and running into a cramped area where he essentially cornered himself. Not to mention that in his panicked state he made it increasingly difficult for me to shadow him successfully. He shouldn't have gone where I would not be able to follow him. And finally, while I did not kill the assassin I ran into, I did follow her back to her allies. And I'll tell you something interesting: your lieutenant's pet-creation is one of them now"

Cesare punched the doctor, cracking his bird-mask even more.

"Idiot!" Cesare screamed. "I know that Il Lupo is there to destroy them from within! But so good of you to remind me" Cesare finished the last bit sarcastically and then continued, his voice rising in anger once more: "That package was a piece of Eden you imbecile! The Sword of Hattanzo it is called. One of many such swords to be forged. Its existence tells me that we may be closer to our goals then we thought, and all this knowledge seems to have cost me, was the damned Sword of Hattanzo itself!" Cesare struck out at a nearby statue in his fury, knocking it off its pedestal where it fell to the floor and shattered into many pieces.

The Doctor, after recomposing himself from being punched, remarked: "what does it matter really? If what you say is true, then there are other swords like that one to be found. And once the order's goals _are_ realized, the assassins will be no more, and then you can have as many of these things as you want. In the meantime though, you still need people like me to serve as your eyes and ears in this fair city of ours…" Malfatto's voice neared smugness as he finished: "unless of course you want to do all of the dirty work yourself…"

Cesare scowled but did not lash out again. The Doctor felt a sense of satisfaction at the knowledge that he had proven himself the sensible one in this little discussion. And Cesare knew it too. Somehow, that knowledge made the Doctor's triumph all the more satisfying.

"Fine. So you've convinced me not to have you hanged. Anything else?" Cesare asked with as much contempt as a human being possibly could.

"As a matter of fact yes. As you may have noticed when I came in, my mask was cracked recently…"

"Yes, I assumed as much. That's why I had the Blacksmith make this for you before his unfortunate death at the hands of the assassins…"

Cesare took out a small box and opened it. Within lied a new bird-mask: steel, with a longer beak and slightly more pronounced green opaque lenses inserted into it.

"I don't think anyone will be breaking this one"

Grabbing it, Malfatto turned around, took off his old mask and tossed it aside. The already cracked mask shattered as it hit the floor. Malfatto then donned the new mask and turned back around.

"Thank you Cesare. I will not fail you again. May the father of understanding guide us"


	6. The Plot Thickens

Chapter 6: The Plot Thickens

_1483. She had been six or seven years old at the time..._

_She and her uncle had been at the docks again, a bag full of fish in hand. Her uncle and father had been fishermen by trade, and it was how the family made a living. Lia didn't mind. She didn't like the fish but she liked the ports. They were always so full of life, with the bustling crowds in their wide array of different clothing, in colors that ranged from vibrant to dull. Lia still remembered seeing people on those ports who looked and dressed like no one she else she had ever seen before or since. Men with yellowed skin and unusual clothing, men with very dark clothing, some odd men in white with hooded capes…she always remembered them…the way one looked at her…if only she had known then who they were…_

_They had made their usual rounds, went to the usual people, and left with their usual amount of money. The dealing, buying, and selling always left Lia so bored. She was much more content to just gaze out at the vast never-ending sea, the different boats, and the people._

_If only Lia had known what was to happen, how she would never see her uncle again after that day, she would have watched him with as much interest and love as she possibly could._

_As she and her uncle kept moving, Lia with a real, true, happy smile as opposed to the empty smirks she had worn on her face ever since, was so lost in her daydreaming that she neglected to notice a big man walking into her path…_

_Lia collided headlong into the man, who swore under his breath before looking down at the little girl in contempt. Lia felt contemptuous herself when she remembered how scared and little and weak she had been when he had looked at her like that. Well, she was only a child…_

"_Watch your step little girl. Bad things happen to those who don't know their place"_

"_Enough Claudio" Lia's uncle said, intervening. "She is just a little girl"_

"_Claudio" looked at her again. Lia remembered his face only vaguely, as it had been so long ago, but he definitely left an impression, mostly because of his hard eyes, his vicious gaze. Like the looks Machiavelli gave her now, only with a greater amount of viciousness. She also remembered how he had a cross necklace, which at the time she had just assumed meant he was with the church. Now she knew what it __**really **__meant…_

"_Hmph. So she is. Even so, remember your place. That goes for you too fish merchant"_

_Claudio brushed past them and Lia could see her uncle's face darken as he scowled at him._

"_What's wrong uncle?" Lia had asked innocently. She had been too young to understand how the world really worked back then. Far, far, too young…_

_Her uncle turned back around and smiled._

"_Nothing Lia. Come, let's go. Wouldn't want to keep your father waiting"_

_Lia nodded in agreement and kept walking with her uncle. He and her father raised her alone. Lia had never known her mother. Her father had never spoken to Lia about her and grew angry whenever Lia asked. Her uncle tried to explain to her that her mother had a "dangerous" life that made her unfit to take care of her, and at the time, Lia was too young to understand that her mother had been a courtesan. Lia was a bastard child, and to remember her mother was to remember that fact. So it was no wonder then why her father had refused to talk about her…_

_Before the two of them could go any further, a large crowd of people surged forward, and Lia and her uncle were swept up by them like a boat by a tidal wave, despite her uncle's loud protests. Forced to turn around, the two saw what all the fuss was about. Claudio had gathered in the center, standing on a crate to raise himself above everyone else. Flanking him were guards. It was the first time Lia had ever seen weapons, and again, she had been far too young and naïve to understand what any of it meant…_

"_People, people, hear me!" Claudio shouted, his voice booming. His medium-length brown hair whipped in the wind. "I represent the great Pazzi family! And they have declared this port to be under their control. Understand: this is a good thing! Yes! The Pazzi family will protect you! Protect you all! You see the Pazzi are a powerful family, and with allies of even greater power!"_

_Lia covered her ears as Claudio continued to shout at the top of his lungs so everyone could hear him. As Lia covered her ears, she saw one of the hooded men in white again. He was walking, ever-so-slowly towards Claudio. She was the only one who saw him. To this day, she wondered what might have happened had she spoke out…_

_But it all happened far too quickly. In one single vicious moment Claudio went from shouting his message to the crowd to lying dead on the floor, a puddle of blood forming under his body. The crowd screamed, Lia cried. She had no idea what was happening, but she knew that it was not good. Her uncle had screamed at her not to leave his side. She obeyed and stayed close to him as he fought his way through the crowd, which was now scattering in all directions. _

_Lia had turned and could see the white hooded man running in their direction, with a blade sticking out of what at the time she thought was his hand. It was almost completely red, and Lia screamed as the man ran forward in their direction. Seeing her scream, the man stopped dead in his tracks, a terrified look on his face. To this day, Lia wasn't entirely sure why he had stopped like that. Was it surprise? Regret at seeing a terrified little girl who he had unwittingly exposed to murder and death? She didn't know. _

_The man had continued to stare before looking over his shoulder and then bolting as an arrow whizzed by. It all happened so fast. Lia still couldn't remember much of it. Just that more arrows had whizzed through the air, but by the end of it all, the assassin had not been the one the crossbowmen had shot…_

_There her uncle lay, with an arrow in his back, dead as Claudio was. Lia remembered being so confused and scared._

"_Uncle? Uncle? UNCLE!" She shook his body, but he did not move. He just lied there motionless. Lia sobbed and screamed. "UNCLE GET UP! GET UP!"_

_But he did not respond. Lia cried and screamed uncontrollably. By now most of the crowd had dispersed, and now Lia was alone, kneeling beside her uncle's body, continuing to cry in confusion and despair. Then she heard a harsh older voice ring through the air: "Idiots! He was long gone! All you did was waste your arrows and cause an even bigger panic then was necessary!"_

_Lia turned around and could see a black-robed man, with a long, red garment beneath his robes and a hood over his head. He was old, older then any man Lia had ever seen before. When he saw her, he walked over to where she was, and gazed at her. Thinking he could help her, Lia said: "Please help, my uncle won't get up!"_

"_That's because your uncle is dead little girl…"_

_Lia didn't know what he meant but before she could say anything the man forced her up on her feet._

"_What is your name girl?"_

"_It…its Lia de Russo…who are you? Are you part of the church?"_

_The man chuckled. "Yes…and no. While I am a part of the Church, my true loyalties lie in something far, far greater. My name is Rodrigo little girl. And I can give you great things in this short life we have. I can get you far beyond this one tiny port, and out onto the sea. Across the world even. Is that what you want?"_

"_Well…I…I don't know…" Lia gazed back at her uncle's body._

"_Oh don't be foolish Lia de Russo. Your uncle is dead. He can do nothing for you now. Only I can if you accept my offer. Or you can stay here alone if you so desire. What do you choose?"_

_It wasn't a hard decision. Even then Lia was smart enough to understand that. "OK…I'll follow you"_

-X-

Lia sat silently on her bed, deep in thought. Memories and the old wounds that came with them had a tendency to creep up on her at the oddest of times. First she had been thinking about her first mission as an assassin and what it meant for her, and the next thing she knew she was staring into space, lost in her thoughts…

The door knocked. Lia stood up and walked over to the door. She opened it, and wasn't surprised to see that it was Il Lupo on the other end.

"Hello Lia. May I come in?"

"Uh…yes."

Lia stepped aside and Il Lupo stepped in. Lia then shut the door. Il Lupo sat down on her bed.

"So…are you doing well?"

"Yes, I am. I still can't believe you killed one of our own, but, I'm fine"

"Right. Well, I just thought I'd forewarn you that I'm going to be gone for a little while. I need to meet with another Templar agent and report my current progress to them. Usually terribly boring, but it's a part of the life all the same. I take it you'll be able to manage without me?"

Lia nodded, and then added: "I'm not helpless. I had this hidden blade of mine long before I joined these zealots"

"Glad to hear it"

Il Lupo's eyes went up to Lia's face. "You were crying"

"What?"

Lia instinctively reached for her face and realized that her cheeks were indeed wet. She had been crying. Apparently the old wounds still stung.

"Nothing, its nothing. Was just…" Lia trailed off. She couldn't think of a single good lie to tell Il Lupo. And instead of trying a bad one, she chose to be honest: "just remembering old wounds, I'll be fine"

"Malfatto?"

"No…not him. Much, much older wounds then that mad-man…"

"Ah."

Il Lupo's expression became one of concern. He got up and walked over to Lia, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"We all have old wounds Lia. Trust me on that. It seems to come with being a part of the things we are a part of…"

Lia looked away, unwilling to confront Il Lupo or his words. Before the awkward moment could go any further, there was another knock on the door. Lia swore under her breath. "Do these people have any sense of privacy?" Lia asked as she marched over to the door and opened it. Not surprisingly, it was Luigi, but he looked far more urgent then usual. His gaze was on Il Lupo.

"Il Lupo. Il Falco. You are both required in the grand hall right away"

Il Lupo and Lia exchanged a glance and then nodded. Luigi went off ahead, and Il Lupo and Lia followed suit. Upon entering the grand hall, Lia saw Il Lupo's expression become one of absolute horror, surprise, and terror.

"Il Lupo, what's wrong…?"

Then the assassins in the way parted and Lia could see who Il Lupo had seen before her. She was a woman who looked to be around the same height and age as Lia, but with a face possessed of sharper cheek bones and a harsher expression. In spite of that, she was easily just as beautiful as Lia, with long brown hair and full lips. She wore a maroon coat-piece of some kind over a white blouse, and over her coat piece and turquoise mini-skirt were a pair of brown belts. Below that she wore pink leggings that went past her thighs and brown boots. She also wore brown leather vambraces, suggesting this woman had experience with the darker side of life. She also curiously, had a fan on her side.

"No, not her, anyone but her…"

"Il Lupo, who the hell is she?"

Il Lupo turned to her and said, both bluntly and wearily: "my teacher"

"What?"

Before the two could continue their talk, Il Lupo put his back to the others and moved in front of Lia. She quickly caught on that he did not want to be seen. Deciding to play along for time being, Lia turned back around to see who this strange and beautiful newcomer was. She was conversing with Francesco Vecellio, but exactly what she was saying, Lia could not tell. Finally, the other assassins turned to her, and beckoned her to come over. Lia did so, Il Lupo taking the time to leave.

"Where is I—"

"He needs to take care of other business" Lia said quickly, cutting Francesco off. Francesco nodded and then said: "This is Fiorra Cavazza. She claims that the Templars are hunting her and that she has come to this island seeking refuge. We will give it to her. She also claims to have information that would greatly help us against the Templars"

Lia raised an eyebrow. That was a likely story if she'd ever heard one. And from what Il Lupo had said about her being his "teacher" Lia quickly gathered that this woman, whoever she was, was, or had been, a Templar, and had now apparently decided to jump ship.

The Courtesan's pretty face took on a quizzical expression when she saw Lia de Russo. She looked her over, the same way Machiavelli had. Lia found herself realizing that if she was inspected by somebody like an art-piece one more time she would punch the person in the face.

Finally, Fiorra ceased in her analyzing. If there was anything about Lia that caught her attention, she did not reference it. Instead, she said: "Well, I thank you all for your hospitality. I promise you all that I won't let down"

Lia had dealt with enough gamblers and con men (and acted as one too) enough times to detect the emptiness and utter lack of sincerity in her words, but if the other assassins caught onto her deception too, they didn't show it. Instead Francesco simply nodded and Fiorra walked off. No sooner was she gone then Lia turned back around and went after Il Lupo.

-X-

"Who the hell was that supposed to be?" Lia demanded

"Easy, easy. Keep your voice down Lia. I told you: she's my teacher. One of two along with the Barber. They were the ones who taught me how to act like an assassin."

"So this is _The Courtesan _you mentioned?"

"Yes"

"Doesn't look much like one"

"Let's just say she hasn't worn her slut clothes in a while"

"Uh-huh. What the hell is she doing here? Did they decide to have another spy in the assassin's ranks?"

"I don't know. I'll ask in my report. But I have a feeling that this isn't them sending reinforcements. No, I know Fiorra. I think she did this, whatever it is she's doing, on her own accord."

"Right. And just when you're going to be leaving. So convenient"

"Come on Lia, that's not fair. I have no idea what she's doing here, I promise"

"Right…OK, fine. Just don't jam a hidden blade into her guts OK?"

Il Lupo rolled his eyes. Then he walked out the door and that was the last Lia saw of him for two days.

-X-

Il Lupo arrived at the designated sight of the meeting near midnight. It was atop one of the taller buildings in Rome, and offered a nice view of the city. Having since grown impatient waiting for his contact to show up, Il Lupo gazed out at the city, his mind still fixated on both Fiorra Cavazza and Lia de Russo…

"Lovely view isn't it?"

Il Lupo's heart skipped a beat but outwardly he maintained his calm and stoic persona and turned around to see just who he was meeting. He silently cursed his poor luck.

"Malfatto…"

"The one and only"

The Doctor walked forward nonchalantly. Il Lupo could see that he wore a new steel bird mask. Somehow, Il Lupo found his mind going back again and again to how he had met Lia de Russo and how Malfatto had almost killed her. Il Lupo found himself suddenly having the rising temptation to kill the Doctor right where he stood.

"You seem just a tad tense Prowler. Is something perhaps on your mind?"

Shaking off his violent impulses, Il Lupo shook his head.

"Good. Now then, shall we get right down to business? How are things going on the other side?"

"Well. The assassins trust me completely. I am now a lieutenant of sorts among them, and they have no reason to suspect that I am a Templar"

"Good, good…although as I recall, that's exactly what you told your mentor Baltasar de Silva during your last briefing with him…"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Don't play the fool Il Lupo. It means that you seem to be making little to-no progress in your assigned task…"

"This takes time. You cannot expect me to face down an entire organization by myself. No. I am in the process of coordinating a plan with which will cripple them greatly. It nears completion. Upon successful execution, their grand-master will be dead, along with who knows many more of them, and they will have lost their lair. I just time need to put in the final touches, run some trials, and then wait for the opportune moment"

"Ah yes, the "opportune moment". That's what your always waiting for isn't it? "The opportune moment" Like perhaps when would be the best time to bed with your other teacher?"

Il Lupo's fists tightened. Malfatto knew far more then he had any right to. But not wanting to give Malfatto the satisfaction of seeing him angry, Il Lupo smothered his rage and then calmly spoke: "The time is nearing. You'll see. Here, I have the plan all drawn out…"

Il Lupo took out a parchment with which he had carefully plotted out his scheme. He showed it to Malfatto, pointing at the drawings with his finger.

"When the right time comes, I will lure most of the brotherhood out under the false pretense that Lucrezia Borgia is vulnerable. The Brotherhood will seize on the opportunity to take down one of the Borgia. Once lured to the designated spot, the Officer and the Knight's forces will ambush the assassins and keep them distracted. Simultaneously, the grand-master Ezio will be kept away from the action, drawn instead to another target: Octavian de Valois.

"The Frenchman who works for Cesare?"

Il Lupo nodded.

"So you are using one of Cesare's top lieutenants as bait? Hmm…dangerous"

"That's what makes it convincing. The grand-master will seize on the opportunity to assassinate him, and with both him and a large portion of the Brotherhood gone, that leaves their island, which only _**I **_know the location of…" Il Lupo put extra emphasis on that last bit, to make it clear that he was still valuable to the Templar's cause. "…very scarcely defended. Making it a very easy victory should the Borgia send a sufficient amount of ships and soldiers to the island"

After Il Lupo finished, Malfatto was silent for a moment. Finally though, he said: "Hmm…an interesting plan. There is but one flaw that I see: you take the Assassins for idiots"

"Please. They will fall for this trap if done convincingly enough. And its only meant as a distraction. If the grand-master and the others survive, they will be too late to save their island base, at which point they will be trapped in the main city and hunted down. That, or they die when the trap is sprung. No matter what the Templars win."

"They will not be so easily fooled Il Lupo. Their grand-master is a clever one I hear. Already he has personally killed seven of our underworld agents. He will immediately suspect that something is wrong. You cannot deceive him as effortlessly as you would like…still, at least you have a plan. So it seems you _are _making progress after all…barely"

Il Lupo glared darkly at Malfatto but chose not to press the matter. Instead he simply gave a curt nod.

"Anyway…is there perhaps anything else you wish to share with me Il Lupo?"

It was a leading question. Il Lupo was prepared.

"Like what?"

"Like perhaps elaborating on the fate of poor Ilario Lombardi. He was killed recently by the assassins"

"I know. I don't know who killed him"

"You're lying. Come now. You think I can't tell?" Malfatto shook his head, his steel bird-mask betraying no emotion or facial expression of any kind. Deciding to get off the subject of the Pariah's death, Il Lupo said: "actually, there is something I want to share: I saw Fiorra Cavazza at the Assassin stronghold two days ago. She claimed that she was going to help them, that the Templars were hunting her"

The Doctor did not respond initially, but then said: "The _pattana _eh? Well, that would certainly explain a recent mystery…"

"What do you mean?"

"You know Rocco Tiepolo? The Mercenary captain? Well I just received word from my protégé: he was killed earlier tonight"

"What? How is that possible?"

Malfatto shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't know. Just that he and his entire band were ambushed by the assassins and promptly massacred. Although I heard Rocco at least went out on quite the high note before taking a blade to the guts. But, now that you've told me what you have, it all makes sense"

"How?"

"Don't play dumb Il Lupo. You see the _pattana _with the assassins and just earlier today one of our greatest resources in the Roman underworld is annihilated? You don't seriously think that's a coincidence do you?"

Il Lupo fell silent. So he had been right about Fiorra being there on her own accord. She had betrayed the Templars. Now things had become complicated.

"Well, I suppose its lucky then that you are undercover with the assassins. When you get the opportunity, do slit the traitor's throat. I'd do it myself, but of course, you're the only one who can get to her now…"

Malfatto said that last bit smugly, throwing Il Lupo's previous assertions of his importance back at him. Il Lupo fought off the urge to punch him in the face and said as calmly as he could: "Well I guess our business is concluded then"

Il Lupo prepared to walk off, but as he did, Malfatto called out: "You know we're not so very different you and I"

Il Lupo stopped dead in his tracks. He turned around and confronted the Doctor.

"What?"

"No seriously. We're not so different. We both spend our lives looking for the weaknesses in one another"

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about"

"Of course you do. Ever since you became one of us you and I seem to be incapable of giving one another anything resembling peace. We must always be in competition with one another. At war if you will. And I ask you, how can one hope to win a war, without exploiting the weaknesses of their enemy?"

"You're babbling"

"Am I? Or am I simply exploiting _your_ weaknesses?"

Il Lupo tensed up. Malfatto was trying to tell him something but was being insufferably cryptic about it.

"What are you getting at?"

"You're different Il Lupo. I can see it in how much more easily you smother your anger. How you carry yourself now. So much lighter then you were when we last saw each-other…to put it bluntly, you've lost your edge"

Il Lupo readied his hidden blades.

"Is that a challenge?" He demanded angrily.

"No, no. I'm not saying you're not capable of killing anymore. No, you're like me in that way. You'll always be capable of killing. No, I mean you've lost your ruthlessness. Your callousness. Your anger. Your laid-back façade is no longer quite a façade anymore"

"What are you—?"

"You think I'm a fool? I've been observing you for some time Il Lupo. I know you killed Ilario Lombardi. And I also know more then that…you see, when that _cagna _escaped me, I made sure to tail her. And I saw her run into you. And I recognized her as the assassin with you when you killed Ilario."

Unable to contain his surprise, Il Lupo let his guard down, his face taking on a horrified expression. Malfatto continued: "So, found a new ally in the assassin's ranks have you? The _cagna _shares your mission no?"

Il Lupo's blood boiled as he readied his hidden blades again. "If you call her that one more time, I'll jam a hidden blade into you"

"Ah, so its more then that eh? Mmm…its worse then I thought. You really have lost your edge Il Lupo. The once ruthless and cold-blooded Prowler has fallen for a pretty face…"

Il Lupo's anger rose ever more. He would lose it any second, he knew it. The bastard wouldn't let up. Il Lupo knew he was actively enjoying this.

"…Well, I can't say I blame you necessarily…she had such sexy legs…"

Il Lupo's anger went past the point of murderous rage. He exploded as he lunged at the Doctor in a fury.

"You _Stronzo_!"

Having anticipated his attack, Malfatto drew from his belt his signature hatchet and swung it out at Il Lupo's hidden blade, the axe swatting the blade away and nearly breaking it in two. Recoiling backwards, Il Lupo regained his stance and drew his sword as Malfatto kept his hatchet at the ready.

"If you touch her…" Il Lupo growled "I'll cut you open"

"Yes, YES! Embrace your namesake Il Lupo! Become what you were always meant to be!"

Il Lupo lunged at Malfatto in a rage, beginning a deadly exchange of blows between sword and hatchet. As the duel continued, Malfatto continued to goad Il Lupo, further fueling his rage: "Come Il Lupo! You can do better than this! You are meant to be an assassin! I am but a doctor with a hatchet!"

The duel continued, Il Lupo bearing down on Malfatto with the full force of his body, backing him up against the edge of the building. Finally having him right where he wanted him, Il Lupo lunged outward with his hidden blade…

"How predictable"

Malfatto swung his hatchet down but Il Lupo pulled back his lunge at the last moment and jammed his sword into Malfatto's exposed chest. Malfatto stared at the sword embedded into his body and the blood now coming out.

"Oh bravo Il Lupo I didn't see _that one_ coming…"

Il Lupo pulled out the sword and Malfatto slumped to the floor. Cleaning the blood of his sword, Il Lupo turned and fled the building. As he did, he neglected to notice Malfatto's fingers wrap around the handle of his hatchet once again…

**Author's Note: Holy crap, that chapter turned out WAY longer then I thought it would! Ah well. The next one will be much shorter, I promise! I hope you enjoyed all the same!**

**As for the Italian words…**

**Stronzo is an Italian expletive by the way, its meaning can be anything from turd to bastard. A good all around insult word.**

"**Puttana" means slut or whore.**

**And just as a fun-fact, the seven Templar assassins Ezio has killed by this point are the Executioner, the Noble, the Engineer, the Footpad, the Blacksmith, the Priest, and the Captain.**


	7. Enter the Jesters

Chapter 7: Enter the Jesters

"What do you mean Fiorra has betrayed me?" Cesare demanded, screaming at the top of his lungs. The Doctor put the finishing touches into his bandage as he replied: "Its true. And I can't say I'm surprised. I had my suspicions about her for a while now, especially after the destruction of Rocco Tiepolo's mercenary band. Il Lupo just confirmed my suspicions when he said that he saw her at the Assassin's stronghold"

"That traitorous _cagna_!" Cesare screamed. Malfatto couldn't help but smirk behind his mask. His boss was such a haughty snob and Malfatto such a sadist that he always found his rage and outbursts amusing to watch, at least when they weren't directed at him.

Finally, Cesare calmed down and then turned to Malfatto and said, very darkly: "Congratulations Malfatto. You may be an idiot but you have been loyal and effective. And you told me of Cavazza's treachery. You have her position now as my new lieutenant"

Malfatto smirked smugly behind his mask once more. He had come to despise Fiorra after she had stabbed him and now he had her position and was exposing her treachery. 

_Who said there's no such thing as karma? _Malfatto thought smugly and then chuckled lightly at his own sadistic sense of humor. Cesare continued: "And now as it so happens Malfatto, I have a new assignment for you: I have come to seriously suspect that Niccolo Machiavelli is affiliated with the assassins. I want you to...punish him for his poor choice of loyalties"

"You expect me to assassinate Niccolo Machiavelli by myself?" Malfatto shook his head. "Dammit Cesare, I'm a doctor, not a soldier of fortune"

Cesare smiled wickedly. "Oh no, you will not be doing this alone..."

Cesare stepped to the side and out of the shadows stepped a sibling pair clad in colorful costumes, the male in a purple and green striped jester's outfit with brown boots and gloves and a white mask with an eerie smile and purple designs on it. The female wore a purple and gold striped jester's outfit with purple gloves and boots and a gold half-mask with a feather attached to the side. They were the Harlequin and the Hellequin, Cahin and Caha. Malfatto had heard much about them. They were some of the deadliest of all of Cesare's underworld allies.

Cahin stared out into space, speaking to seemingly no one but in actuality, was speaking directly to you, the reader: "Admit it. You can't look away. HAHAHAHAHA!"  
>-X-<br>When Il Lupo finally came back, Lia found her heart race upon seeing him again. She caught onto this but could not figure out why it was so. Instead she just smiled as she watched Il Lupo come over to her. He smiled back upon seeing her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hello Lia. It is good to see you again"

"Yes, its good to see you too...so how did it go with your contact?"

Il Lupo's expression became dark and grim and he did not respond.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Il Lupo let out a sigh. "Yes. Malfatto happened. But don't worry. I took care of it. He won't be a problem anymore"

It didn't take a genius to know what Il Lupo really meant when he said that. So he had killed another fellow Templar. Only this time Lia wasn't nearly as shocked or surprised.

"Good" was her only response. There was an awkward silence between them before Il Lupo asked: "So...what about Fiorra?"

"Oh, she's been making herself feel _real_ welcome here. I've heard certain sounds coming from her room every night. She may not wear her slut clothes anymore but she definitely still acts like one"

Il Lupo chuckled lightly. "Yes, that sounds like Fiorra Cavazza..."

There was an awkward silence between the two, as neither was sure of what to say to the other. Finally, Lia said: "Francesco was asking for you. He said that when you came back you were to go straight to him"

Il Lupo nodded. "Good to know. I'll be there"

And then, no sooner had he come back, Il Lupo was gone again, and Lia de Russo realized that she felt somewhat saddened by that...  
>-X-<br>The door finally opened and out came Il Lupo. Lia turned to him, having grown impatient from waiting outside the door for so long.

"Well?"

"Francesco's got a new job for me. He says that Fiorra's given him information about some key Templar figures and he wants me to lead the operations to kill them. And he had a job for you too"

"Oh really? And what would that be?"

"Machiavelli's going to be attending a _commedia, _and Francesco thinks that it would be a good idea to give him an escort."

"Can't Machiavelli handle himself?"

"Well, technically yes, but the man's got to keep up appearances does he not? And besides, its not a chance that Francesco is prepared to take. You know how valuable Machiavelli is to the brotherhood Lia."

"I just don't know what difference its going to make. I mean, he and the other assassins are all going to die in the end anyway right?"

Il Lupo's face became grim and he did not answer at first. Finally though, he said: "Yes, yes they will. But my plan's not finished yet, and so in the meantime, we still need to keep up appearances. We're no good to our order dead"

"Right…and what about Cavazza? Where is she fitting into all of this?"

Again, Il Lupo's expression became grim as he said: "Yes, I have been wondering that myself. Well, she's betrayed the Templars, of this I am certain, so we cannot rely on her for any kind of assistance. As it stands, she cannot know that I am a part of the brotherhood…no one has spoken of me to her have they?"

Lia shook her head. "But how are you going to keep her from finding out? You're both in the same building on the same island. You can't hide forever…"

"Sure I can. So long as I stay out of sight, and she doesn't learn of my existence, I'll be fine."

"Someone's going to mention you sooner or later. What then?"

Il Lupo fell silent for a moment. Then, he said: "Then I make it clear that if she exposes me, then I in turn expose her as a former Templar lieutenant. And then we go down together"

Lia tensed up. She found herself particularly uncomfortable and distasteful to the idea of Il Lupo dying. "You don't seem too concerned or fearful about the idea of losing your life"

Finally, Il Lupo managed a small grin. "What can I say bella donna? I suppose I am a bit of a gambler…"

Lia rolled her eyes. "Fine. Have it your way. In the meantime, I guess I'll play bodyguard for Machiavelli. Anything else I should know?"

"Just one thing: you're keeping an eye on him to make sure he doesn't get assassinated. Just remember our order's own assassins like to pose as everyday figures. So keep your eyes peeled"

-X-

Lia wrapped her brown cloak tightly around her assassin's uniform as she and Machiavelli entered the _colloseo_. There was a second apprentice with them, whom Lia didn't recognize, and in any event, she was keeping her eyes on either Machiavelli or on the lookout for suspicious-looking characters at all times. Needless to say, a great many people fit the vague description of "suspicious-looking" and Lia found herself growing agitated and anxious as she had to keep worrying and fretting over every strange or suspicious-looking person she saw. "_Was this how the higher-ranking Templars were forced to live?" _Lia wondered. _Constantly on the look-out for anyone strange, always looking over their shoulder?" _Lia couldn't imagine it, and all of a sudden she found herself grateful that she had never risen terribly high in the Templar hierarchy…

Lia, Machiavelli, and the apprentice made their way up the winding rows of the _colloseo _and Lia and the apprentice took their seats next to Machiavelli. Within mere moments, the play began, and the actors dressed in their diverse array of vibrant outfits entered…

-X-

Malfatto circled around to the back of the _Colloseo _along with the Harlequin and the Hellequin, leading the two homicidal jesters into a back entrance of the _Colloseo _that only actors were permitted to go through…

"Hey!" The guard shouted. "What are you doing here sulking around doctor? The back is for actors onl—"

"May the father of understanding guide us" Malfatto said bluntly. Understanding the message, the guard nodded and moved to the side, allowing Malfatto and the twins entrance. Malfatto turned to them: "Now then: there is a _commedia _currently in progress. Which means that your colorful costumes are the perfect disguise. You will go in and keep everyone…"entertained". While you do, _I _will take care of Machiavelli. Understood?"

The Hellequin Caha nodded wordlessly. The Harlequin Cahin meanwhile clicked his heels together. "Marvelous! Marvelous! I do always love to put on a show! Always so much excitement, and festivities…"

Cahin and Caha entered, the former dancing around playfully as he did so. Malfatto shook his head. Dangerous the two jesters might be, but he still found himself incredulous to the pair's overly jovial nature and especially Cahin's chronic inability to stand still or to keep his mouth shut. Well, they would provide a solid distraction at any rate, and once Machiavelli was dead he would hopefully not have to deal with them again.

Malfatto fingered the hatchet on his belt and made sure that his knife was well-hidden. Finally, he checked to make sure that his…special weapon was functioning properly, and found it to be so. He was ready. Ignoring the faint sound of Cahin and Caha's knives piercing the flesh of two unfortunate performers, Malfatto made his way to the stands where his target awaited him…

-X-

Now the "fool" characters entered the stage and joined in the unfolding show. As the colorful jesters indulged in various raunchy, cacophonous, and outright slapstick antics to the amusement of the crowd, Lia found that even she couldn't help but grin at it all. And to her amazement, she heard Machiavelli chuckle, and even laugh at what he saw. Yes, the humorless, cynical, and utterly no-nonsense Machiavelli was _laughing. _And more then that, she could see him socializing with a friend sitting near him, sharing stories and comments about the production and other things. Lia was quietly amazed. In the short time she had know him she had never taken Machiavelli for being the kind of man who had friends, a sense of humor, or really anything resembling fun…

Two more jesters entered the stage. One was male and wearing green and purple, the other female and in purple and gold. And what an entrance they made! The purple and green-clad male made a graceful bow and then spun around, kneeling and cupping his hands together. The female in gold and purple ran forward and put her foot into his hands, allowing him to toss her into the air, where she spun around and landed to the roar of the crowd. Lia couldn't help but be impressed. But curiously, she noticed that Machiavelli's face had suddenly become grim and serious…

The two newest jesters continued their two-person acts. They spun around, danced gracefully around each-other…the gold and purple one spun around and pulled another performer close to her by the scruff of his collar. Even from her distance Lia could see his face grow red. Then the female jester gave the performer a slap and spun around him and the crowd roared with laughter…everyone except Machiavelli.

Lia was curious. What was it about these two jesters that had suddenly reduced Machiavelli to his usual self?

-X-

Malfatto made his way through the rows as indiscreetly as possible, taking care to remove his bird-mask for the time being so as to be a bit more inconspicuous in the crowd. He loathed being seen without his mask, but also understood the value of stealth and remaining incognito. And a doctor was not exactly a common sight at plays.

Finally, Malfatto came within sight of his target: Machiavelli, sitting there with his eyes fixed intently on the play. Evidently, Cahin and Caha were actually doing their jobs properly. That just left him to perform the assassination…

Malfatto checked his hidden gun one last time to make sure it was functioning properly, nodded in satisfaction that it was, and took aim...

-X-

Lia continued to watch the show, which the two jesters had by now almost completely overtaken with their over-the-top antics and flashy performances. They were in a completely different league from the other performers, who were now actively struggling to keep up. The crowd didn't mind; they just kept on laughing, but Machiavelli's expression remained stern. Finally, he turned to Lia de Russo: "This is not part of the show. I have seen this _commedia_ before, and nowhere do I remember the antics of these two…"

Machiavelli's eyes widened as some great and terrible truth seemed to dawn on him. Before Lia could make heads or tails of it, he grabbed her shoulder, and the shoulder of the other apprentice, and forced them both down.

As it turned out, he saved their lives. A bullet whizzed by at that moment, sailing over the three assassin's heads and striking another unfortunate person in the audience. The coliseum burst into screams of panic and terror as the audience caught onto to what had transpired. Suddenly everyone was scrambling to get our of their seats and running for the nearest exits. Amidst the chaos and confusion, Lia couldn't see who had fired the shot, but knew that the Templars were here. Cursing herself for not having noticed before, Lia readied her hidden blade for battle…

-X-

Seeing the coliseum burst into chaos and disarray, Cahin's mouth burst into a grin as wide and sinister as the one on his white and purple mask. He turned to his sister as the performers among them also scattered.

"Ah! A disturbance! A disruption of the natural order! Perfect! Come my sister! Let us broaden the horizons of their feeble little minds! Let us open their eyes to the vast complexities that stare them in the eyes! What say you sister? Hmmm…I thought the same thing. All right then, we'll do it _**that **_way. I'm always up for the challenging!"

Cahin chuckled as his sister rolled her eyes behind her mask, still after all these years having not gotten completely used to her brother's tendency to babble inane nonsense that made sense only to him. Nevertheless, both siblings drew their daggers and charged forward into the sea of panicking people, making their way past them with grace as they surged towards their true target. It was easy for the siblings to identify him: he was with two people wearing distinctive white hooded outfits that they were quite familiar with…

-X-

Lia, Machiavelli, and the apprentice fought their way through the bustling and screaming crowd as they attempted to reach one of the exits. But unfortunately, throngs of people had already bottled up every single exit, and the three assassins were effectively trapped.

Then the apprentice turned and saw the Harlequin and the Hellequin running towards them…

"Sir! The jesters are coming at us!"

Machiavelli turned and backed up behind Lia de Russo and the other apprentice as the Harlequin and the Hellequin charged at them, both of them bearing a knife in each hand.

"Ah! A fight! Marvelous! I always love to test my skills!"

The Harlequin was the first to attack, lunging forward and swinging out with one of his two rondel daggers. Lia leaped backwards to avoid the slash and drew her sword, ready to exchange blows with the whimsical maniac. Simultaneously, the other apprentice took out his mace and hefted it over his shoulder, ready to swing it out at either one of the jesters.

And so began a deadly dance between the four. The Harlequin lunged forward again, slashing and thrusting this way and that with his twin daggers at Lia de Russo, who side-stepped each strike and slashed outwards with her sword, only to strike at thin-air each time. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Harlequin was tremendously agile. And also insufferably chatty: "My, what a pretty face you have beneath that hood. Such nice hair and hard-looking eyes. Alas, I confess that I am helpless against such beauty…" Cahin finished with his sentence with false drama and yearning in his voice.

Lia made another sword thrust. The Harlequin cart-wheeled out of the way of surged forward with his knives, leaving a cut in the side of Lia's arm.

"…well, not _completely _helpless. Heh…"

Lia gasped in pain but steeled her way past it as she backpedaled. Seeing the Harlequin getting ready to lunge again, Lia waited until the last minute before side-stepping, spinning around to kick the Harlequin back and into the wall of the coliseum as he missed her with his daggers. Running forward, Lia engaged the Hellequin, who traded blows with her with such effortless ease and grace that she made Lia feel sloppy in comparison. Meanwhile, the apprentice, who had bee having no luck with the Hellequin, ran at the Harlequin, mace swinging.

"Trading partners _mon cher? _Tsk, tsk. And I had come to enjoy our company…"

Lia ignored him and continued to duel with the Hellequin. She side-stepped out of the way of Lia's strikes but in so doing walked right into Lia's trap. With a snap, her hidden blade came out and she lunged. The Hellequin only barely moved out of the way in time, and was left with a cut on her side. The Hellequin scowled at Lia and lunged forward once more, baring her daggers viciously and slashing and stabbing in a frenzy. Lia dodged these more sloppy strikes, grabbed the Hellequin's arm, and threw her to one side. It was then that she heard the sickening sound of a dagger piercing flesh and a gasp of pain and agony. Turning around, Lia saw the apprentice dead and the Harlequin standing over him, now bloodied knives in hand.

"I have finished with this over-eager one. Now it is time to return to my passion of the moment!"

And without any other warning, the Harlequin lunged forward again, giving no quarter as he continued to slash and thrust at Lia de Russo, all the while babbling random nonsense in between passive flirting. Lia found herself losing focus as she became more and more irritated by the Harlequin's insane rambling. It was as if he was trying to make her as mad as he was. And her arm continued to bleed from the injury he had already given her…

"IL FALCO!" Machiavelli shouted. "Come! The exits clear! We need to flee!"

He was right of course. These jesters were lethal, and Lia was on her own with an arm that was now bleeding and steadily becoming a major obstacle to her fighting abilities. Making one last bold slash that the Harlequin was clearly not expecting, Lia took advantage of him backpedaling to turn and flee with Machiavelli, running as fast as they could out of the _Colloseo _along with what other people remained. But as Lia fled with Machiavelli, her eyes saw a sight that made her blood freeze: Malfatto stood amongst the crowd.

And as Lia exited, she could feel his predatory gaze on her.

**Author's Note: And there you go! **_**"Colloseo" **_**is the roman coliseum by the way. Brotherhood players might remember it as the place where Ezio had to save one of Lucrezia's lovers. "Mon Cher" means "My Dear" in French by the way.**


	8. Innocent Beginning

Chapter 8: Innocent Beginnings

"They know I am an assassin Francesco." Machiavelli said. "Three of the Borgia's stooges attempted to murder me at the _commedia _last night_"_

"Well, this is definitely not good news…"

"Well Francesco, you've just proven to have a remarkable talent for understatement, now listen carefully: until when or if we fully steal Rome out from under the Borgia's feet, I can no longer safely leave this island. To that end, you Francesco, are—"

Lia de Russo didn't hear the rest of Machiavelli and Francesco's conversation, instead heading sraight to Il Lupo's room. She had to tell him what had happened. Had to tell him that Malfatto was still alive.

She brushed past several other apprentices, finally arriving at Il Lupo's room. She knocked on the door. No response.

"Are you looking for Il Lupo?"

Lia turned around and saw that it was Senza Volto.

"What does it look like?"

"Thought so. Well, I saw him walking by Fiorra Cavazza's room…"

Senza Volto didn't even finish his sentence when Lia practically bowled him over as she stormed off in the direction of Fiorra Cavazza's room, finding herself incredibly and uncontrollably angry with Il Lupo. A part of her felt betrayed somehow, and not because Fiorra was a traitor and she a supposed Templar…

"Ah, Il Falco, could you please come here for a moment?"

Overhearing Francesco's request, Lia paused. She turned and could see Francesco beckoning for her to come over to him and Machiavelli. Suppressing a sigh, as well as the urge to tell them to go to hell, Lia went over to the Assassin leaders, and Francesco said: "Il Falco, in light of your helping to save Machiavelli's life, he and I are strongly considering elevating your position within the order…"

Lia wasn't exactly sure how to take that piece of information. Was she surprised? Grateful? Indignant? Apathetic? All of them? None of them? She didn't know. What she _did _know however, was that at the moment, Il Lupo and her anger at him, which even she couldn't fully explain, were the only things that mattered at the moment.

But, in spite of this, Lia kept up appearances. She nodded and said: "Thank you Francesco"

As she said this, she could see Il Lupo coming into view out of the corner of her eye. Bowing respectfully, she went after Il Lupo before Francesco or Machiavelli could say anything else to her. Following the Prowler, she cornered him before he even realized what was happening.

"My room. Now"

Getting the message just from the tone in her voice, Il Lupo nodded and went with Lia into her room. Lia shut the door and locked and then turned to Il Lupo.

"Bella donna, what is the matt—"

"_**Don't **_call me that. Not now. Now I want to know what the hell you were doing?"

"Excuse me?"

"You were with Fiorra Cavazza weren't you? What the hell were you doing there?"

"Uh, yes, I was with Fiorra…I went because I had thought about what you said, and decided that you were right. That I couldn't hide. So I revealed myself to her to make it clear what was going to happen. She keeps shut about me, I don't expose her. Everyone's happy."

Lia's anger continued to fester. Trying and failing to keep her tone neutral, she replied: "Don't play coy with me. What were you really doing with that _pattana?"_

"Lia…are you being jealous?"

Lia was dumbfounded at the question that was just posed to her. Then, her anger rising all the more, she practically shouted: "Jealous? Why the hell would I be jealous?"

"Well, I can't think of anything else that would cause this little outburst of yours, so I think jealously is a pretty safe bet…"

Il Lupo's casual nature and indifference stung Lia more then she thought possible. Blinking back tears, she tightened her fists and growled: "What. Really. Happened?"

Seeing Lia's anger, Il Lupo sighed. "Look, if you must know, Fiorra and I were…shall we say, once more then just teacher and student. But that was a short and passing thing. I have forgotten it now, and we are no longer that way anymore. All that exists between us now is two people with dirty secrets to keep"

"Like the one you just shared?" Lia asked venomously.

"Hey, come on, don't get like that bella donna. I didn't know you'd be so sensitive about this. I didn't mean to send you into a rage. Are you OK?"

Lia sighed, finding her rage quickly dissipating. She took in a deep breath before saying: "Malfatto is alive"

Il Lupo's face immediately became far more serious and concerned as he heard this. "What? How? I…"

"I saw him at the _commedia _when the Templars sent assassins after Machiavelli"

"Oh…"

There was an awkward silence between the two, with neither one sure of what to say to the other. But then Il Lupo's eyes fell upon Lia's bandaged arm.

"What happened?"

"Got cut by one of the Templar assassins." Lia grumbled. "Some madman in a jester's costume"

"Jester costume? I think I know who you're talking about…what colors were the outfit?"

"Purple and green, why?" Lia asked.

"I know him. That's Cahin. The Templars have dubbed him "The Harlequin". Chances are if he was there you also ran into his sister Caha…"

Lia nodded. "If by Caha you mean female jester in purple and gold then yes, I did"

"Yes, that's her. They're a sibling pair. Very dangerous, even by my standards. Fiorra worked with them once, said she couldn't hear herself think afterwards. Doing work with Cahin was like getting her head slammed against a wall over and over…"

Lia managed the faintest of smiles. "Yes, that sounds like what I went through…"

Again, there was silence between them. Lia found that her anger had fled as quickly as it had come, with her still unclear as to why it had even come in the first place. Why had she gotten so angry when she heard Il Lupo was with Fiorra?

Il Lupo put his hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure you're OK Lia? I wasn't trying to make you angry…"

"Its OK. I….I don't know what came over me…"

And once again, there was an awkward silence. Lia found herself being increasingly maddened by them. So this time it was her turn to break it: "You know, I don't understand you Il Lupo. How does someone like you end up as a Templar assassin?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, I mean…you…you seem so…nice for a Templar. All of the other Templars I've ever worked with, they've all been so cold…so cynical, and self-centered. And most of them never actually bothered to talk to me unless it was necessary. But you…you just seem so much more amiable then the others…why?"

Il Lupo's expression went from surprise to seriousness to almost vindictiveness, which made Lia slightly nervous. Then though, it turned into a sly, teasing grin.

"Wait…are you accusing me of being "nice" bella donna? What happened to the "cold-hearted bastard" who killed an ally just to keep up appearances?"

Lia's face fell upon hearing this. Yes, there was that. That one moment where she had realized that his affable nature was probably just a façade and that deep down he was just as cold as any of them…

Il Lupo's face had also lost its grin and amusement and become serious and grave once more. He let out a deep sigh.

"Its true. You're right, I mean. I really am not like the others am I?" He sighed again. She could see regret on his face now, which she hadn't seen on his face before. It was a strange look for him.

"The…truth is, I was _never_ like the others. At least I don't think I ever was…maybe I was like them for a while, during and immediately after Fiorra and Baltasar's training, but…I've never had their nature…not the Executioner's bloodlust, the Captain's arrogance, the Blacksmith's aggression and brutality, Malfatto's lack of a heart and soul…" Il Lupo trailed off, staring into space. For the first time ever since she had met him, Lia could see him look almost sad…

He turned to her. "Lia, can I tell you something? About myself I mean?"

Lia wasn't sure how to respond. Truth be told, she didn't know how to respond. She was seeing Il Lupo more vulnerable and more lost then she had ever seen him before. And a part of it was unnerving. But she was also curious, and more to the point, she was drawn to him somehow, and she found herself realizing that she really did want to know…

"Sure…what is it…?"

"I…Lia, I haven't told anyone else this…but…I trust you. So here goes…"

-X-

_He hadn't always been known as Il Lupo. He had had another name before, once upon a time, but it was long lost now, along with everything else that old life of his had included…_

_He still remembered that one time he had been caught stealing again. The resident guard had grown sick and tired of having to catch and him and drag him to his father again and again. As he had dragged Il Lupo back that one time, he had been ranting all the while about how if it had really been up to him the kid would have been in the stocks for the rest of his life._

"_This is the fourth damned time I've had to stop your son from taking what doesn't belong to him Ragionevole"_

"_I know Amerigo. I promise you, it will not happen again"_

"_That's what you told me the last two times. Papal Guard or not Ragionevole, the next time your brat takes something without paying, his hands come off"_

_Il Lupo had remembered gulping in fear at that threat. But then his father's face had grown angry and he responded: "Get out of my house Amerigo. And never threaten my son again. I promise you, I will deal with him, but you are not to lay a finger on him"_

"_You had better straighten him out Ragionevole…"_

_And with that, Amerigo left, grumbling all the way, leaving Il Lupo's father to scold him without little in the way of restraint: "What where you thinking son? This is the fourth time you have stolen! I have been quite patient with you my boy, but now you have gone too far!" His father's voice rang through the small confines of their house, his Swiss accent only serving to add more power and authority to his voice._

"_You are better then this son! You are the son of a Papal Guard! You may not think it, but that __**means**__ something! I thought that I had taught you nobility! I thought that I had taught you civility! But yet you continue to steal! Why?"_

"_I am sorry! I am! I swear! I don't know…I…I like the thrill of it…I am so tempted sometimes to take it when it is presented before me…but…I'm sorry father, please! I won't steal again! I promise!"_

_His father shook his head. His anger had dissipated, replaced with a mix of sadness, regret, and disappointment._

"_My son, you cannot take that which does not belong to you. Remember the seventh of the Ten Commandments: "thou shalt not steal"_

"_I know"_

"_And as for temptation, we are always tempted to do sin my son. But what separates the virtuous from the sinful is that the virtuous reject the temptation. They do not succumb. They take the noble path."_

"_I know father…"_

"_That is why I am a Papal Guard son. Because I take the high road. I serve the most virtuous. The most holy. Do you understand?"_

_Il Lupo had nodded. "I do"_

"_Then act like it! Do not steal again. Please my son. I do not wish to yell at you like this again…"_

_Il Lupo nodded. As it was, he never did steal again. Of course, he did ultimately commit far worse sins then stealing, but that was after he had lost his belief in G-d and thus no longer worried about going to Hell. He did find himself consumed with guilt when he thought of what his father would think of him if he could see him though, but even that left him in time…_

_He remembered his father's face softening as Il Lupo promised not to steal again. The rest of that night had been a good one, he had remembered that. His father had not been a cruel man. No, just stern. He had only wanted Il Lupo to be good and virtuous. And he wanted that out of the Vatican he served too. It was just too bad that he didn't always get it._

"_What has happened to the holy seat of Christendom?" his father had once asked to him. "Why have so many of my fellow Papal Guards and others in the Vatican become so blatantly power-hungry, and avaricious? They have all lost their way…"_

_He had remembered his father getting sadder and sadder looking with each passing day. He had tried to cheer his father up whenever he had looked really sad, he remembered, but he could tell that he always seemed at least a little upset. He also remembered him in his impressive black and red armor that Il Lupo admired so much berating two of his fellow Papal Guards, and an officer along with them. Il Lupo couldn't remember exactly what he had said to them, but he could have sworn that he repeated some of the exact things he had said to Il Lupo when scolding him about stealing… _

_And then one night, his father had burst home, in a panic, still wearing his armor, only with blood on it. There was blood on his sword too, which he had drawn. Even now when he thought of that fateful night, he remembered his heart pounding like a drum and his blood racing through his body…_

"_Father, what's wrong?"_

"_I can't say son. But we need to go. Now."_

_And before Il Lupo could do anything, he and his father fled their home, with his father leading him through the darkened streets of Rome, ignoring any and all panicked onlookers and passerby. Finally, they arrived at a building that at the time Il Lupo had been too young to realize was actually a brothel._

"_This is the Rosa in Fiore. I have friends of your mother's here. You will be safe here."_

"_Safe? Safe from what? Father, I don't understand…"_

"_I know son. I know. You're too young…and I can't tell you. He who increase knowledge increases sorrow. Just know that I love you, and I hope that this is not our last meeting…"_

_His father hugged him, ran off into the night, and that was the last time Il Lupo ever saw him. To the day he still had no idea what had happened him, or what he had been running from. But from then on, he was left in the care of the "friends" of his late mother at the Rosa in Fiore. And that was how it had stood for years after. _

_And then he had met __**her**__ one day. Even at that age she was gorgeous. He had remembered her strutting in as if she owned the place, and Il Lupo could tell from the looks many of the courtesans gave her that there was no love lost between any of them._

"_What are you doing here Fiorra?" The Madame demanded. "You are not welcome here anymore"_

"_Oh do keep your tongue behind your teeth crone, I'm just visiting some old memories…"_

_Her pretty eyes fell upon him. He had remembered blushing. She walked over to him, and he nervously averted his gaze. _

"_Hmmm…you're a curious looking boy aren't you? What's your name…?"_

"_I…uh…I…" He had stammered. He was too embarrassed. So she improvised. _

"_Nervous eh?" She chuckled lightly. "Its OK. So…what's someone like you doing in a place like this?"_

"_I…live here" He had said timidly._

_She raised an eyebrow. "Really? Well, I don't really think this is a place for someone like you. It certainly wasn't for me…" She trailed off as her gaze fell upon the Madame who turned her back to her and snorted in contempt. She turned back to him: "Anyway, my name is Fiorra Cavazza, and I think that someone like you can do better then a place like this…"_

"_Really?"_

"_Oh definitely. You seem capable…" her eyes scanned his body, making him blush uncontrollably._

"_Anyway, how would you feel about coming with me and I introduce you to some friends of mine?"_

_He had remembered being incredibly skeptical and suspicious, but at the same time, his latest aching bruise reminded him of how his current condition was not exactly comfortable. Nor did the recently healed black eye. He decided he might as well take his chances with the pretty girl who strangely enough, had a cross necklace…_

"_All right Fiorra. I'll go."_

_And it had been with that that his old life had died and Il Lupo had been born. _

**Author's Note: And that's the end of that chapter! So what did you think of the backstory I gave Il Lupo's backstory? Good? OK? Too sappy? Too clichéd? Too similar to Lia's? Be sure to tell me, I'd like to have the feedback!**

"**Ragionevole" means "reasonable"**

"**Amerigo" means "work-power"**


	9. Atonement

Chapter 9: Atonement

"…And well, that's my story" Il Lupo finally finished. Lia sat there silent and transfixed. She wasn't entirely sure how to respond, instead choosing to just take it all in. Again and again she re-played Il Lupo's story in her mind, going through the tragic tale of his lost father and ending up joining the Templar order as Fiorra Cavazza and Balatasar de Silva's personal pet creation. Finally, Il Lupo broke the silence, getting Lia's attention.

"Well Lia?"

Lia closed her eyes and took a breath. Then, she said: "Well…I…I don't really know what to say…I mean, you just told me some pretty tragic things…things that if I were you I wouldn't be so inclined to share…"

"Like I said, I haven't shared this with anyone. Not Fiorra, not Balatasar, no one. But you…like I said, I _trust _you Lia…you're…special I guess…"

Lia's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing this and she found herself unsure of what to say or do. Nobody in her entire life had _ever _called her that. Maybe her father and uncle had believed it, but they had never gotten the chance to say it to her. Throughout her life, she had been called a Smuggler, a pirate, a thief, and worse, but never had anyone called her "special".

Suddenly, and without warning, Lia felt compelled to share _her_ story with Il Lupo: "Il Lupo…I…you trusted me with your story…can I trust you with mine?"

There was silence for a moment, but then Il Lupo nodded. "Go ahead Lia. I am willing to hear."

"All right, here goes…"

_She told him everything including and up to the moment when Rodrigo Borgia recruited her into the Templar's ranks. But the story went past that: in just a short period of time, what precious little remained of her innocence and naïveté was promptly lost forever. She learned how the world worked. She learned how often the only things people respected were force and money. She learned that even girls like her could attract the lustful. And she learned death._

_Initially, Lia was placed on a ship belonging to the Templar agent and Pirate captain named Blaise Legros. He claimed to be a "privateer" but Lia quickly caught onto what he __**really **__was, especially after he ensured that those who did not pay for his ferrying them ended up "lost at sea". Lia remembered that experience in particular making her cold to the world and giving her the cynical shell she had kept up today. _

_She remembered the very first time she had set foot on his ship…_

_He had looked down at her, narrowing his eyes in such a way that Lia grew nervous, her legs, which were unused to being on a boat, had begun to wobble even more, and she became nervous. Blaise had burst into a grin, she remembered, but that had only made her even more nervous._

"_She's got some pretty nice legs" One of the idiots that made up Blaise's crew had said. She remembered another commenting in response: "Yeah…very nice all around…"_

_She had remembered Blaise snapping around in the direction of the two chauvinist thugs and promptly putting them in their place._

"_That is enough out of you pigs! You are forbidden from laying a hand on this girl unless I say so! Anyone who doesn't like that can spend some time at the bottom of the sea! Understood?"_

"_AYE CAPTAIN!" Was the unanimous response. Even at that age, Lia remembered being impressed. Whatever carnal feelings his crew had, they obeyed their captain without question. Lia grew to admire that about Blaise, if little else._

_Her time on Blaise's ship had taught her some valuable skills. For one thing, he had taught her how to sword-fight. Lia remembered first being handed a small sword that she awkwardly tried to manage in her pathetically small hands, and only managed to cut herself. She had howled in pain, crying as loudly as she had when her uncle had died, and indeed, the sight of the blood dripping on the wooden floor of the boat had brought back the painful memories._

_But then in a flash, Blaise had bandaged up the wound and consoled her as she cried. When she was done, Blaise looked her dead in the eye, and said coldly: "Never cry again Lia. A Templar does not cry, nor does any man on my ship. You will be no different"_

_And Lia didn't cry after that. In time Blaise was able to teach her how to use a sword properly. She remembered how he had beamed with pride when she finally successfully lopped the head right off of the practice dummy he had set up. Most of her memories after that had long since left her mind, but she also remembered how he had taught her how to always make sure that the most valuable spoils remained in her possession. That was how Lia had first gotten her signature hidden blade, when Blaise's crew raided some merchants dealing in "exotic weapons". It did them no good when Blaise and his gang ruthlessly massacred the whole lot of them. Blaise had found the inverted hidden blade among the pile of weapons, examined it, muttered something that Lia still did not understand to this day about how they "didn't make them like they used to" and then nonchalantly tossed it to Lia, who looked at it puzzled. He had said that it was a special weapon._

"_Always keep the best stuff for yourself Lia" Blaise had told her that day._

_To his credit, Blaise had treated her reasonably well. For a merciless bastard who only helped further desensitize her, he never once laid a hand on her, and even taught her how to make sure the rest of the crew kept their hands to themselves as well. Again, Blaise had given the order, but he knew that his men could and would try something when he wasn't around to stop them. As he had put it to her: "I can not watch over you forever Lia. You must learn to take care of and look after yourself"_

"_But…but I don't know how to fight off those men if they attack me…"_

"_Do not worry Lia. I will teach you. What you must know, is that downing a man is much like making eggs. Do you understand?"_

"_No…"_

"_It is simple: first, you raid the nest, as in, attack them before they can make the first move. Then, you clip the wings…"_

"…_Do you mean hit their arms?"_

_Blaise smiled. "Yes Lia. Hit their arms, knock any weapons they might have out of their hands. Then you break the beak."_

_Lia had nodded, desperately attempting to decipher Blaises's unique way of describing how to defend oneself from an assailant._

"…_Then you, as I like to put it: "crack the eggs". Always my favorite part"_

_He was a complicated and contradictory person to say the least._

_Eventually, Lia left Blaises's crew and took to running her own smuggling operations, getting her her title from the Templar order and rising to some prominence as she ferried various valuable items to them, not caring what they were for if anything, only caring whether or not she was paid. Not that the money gave her anything resembling happiness, but she tried to convince herself that it did, and if nothing else, even Templar agents had to eat. There was also a thrill for a while, the excitement and feeling of pleasure she got at finding and stealing valuable items and treasures, like it was some kind of game or adventure, but even that left her in time as more and more, death seemed to become a part of the equation. Even though she tried to stay her killing hand, especially in her earlier years, those who aided in her operations were less inclined to be merciful._

_And then the Templars told her that they could use her skills for more then just smuggling. They told her that she could start putting that hidden blade of hers to proper use. And that was when Lia became one of the Templar's roman assassins. She remembered getting her first assignment, a couple of shop-owners who had refused to close down their store. Lia had barged in and was prepared to murder the woman but hesitated. She remembered the terrified look on her face, and realized that she didn't have the heart to do it. Or did she? She had killed before, but not like that…_

_She had been unsure, so instead she robbed and ransacked the place and left with a warning, figuring or at the least hoping, that the couple would be smart and close their store. And then she was given another assignment, and it was then when she was attacked by Ezio…_

"…And that, is _my _story." Lia said, finishing. "I think you know the rest."

Il Lupo nodded. "I do" Again, there was an uncomfortable silence between the two of them that seemed to stretch on forever before Il Lupo said: "Well, now we know each-other's stories. We are…open books to each-other now"

Lia's mouth formed into the smallest and faintest of smiles at the awkwardness of Il Lupo's choice of words. Il Lupo continued: "I can see some similarities with our stories…we both had our families taken from us…we never knew our mothers…"

"…We both fell in with the wrong people" Lia added

Il Lupo chuckled. "Yes, I suppose that's also true. But we wouldn't have met were it not for the Templar order, so there is some good to come of that…"

Again there was a silence between them before Il Lupo noticed Lia's fallen face. Extending a hand, he pulled her face up. "You OK Lia? Is there something else on your mind?"

Lia thought about it. As it so happened, there _was, _but she wasn't sure if she should say it or not. She and Il Lupo had opened up to one another so much, and yet she still wasn't sure if she could trust him with this one other thing that had begun to enter her thoughts and create inner conflict within her. And she wasn't even sure if she herself wanted to hear it.

She shook her head. "No. Just…I'm just a little lost is all"

"Well, you've been through a lot in your life, a lot of pain. And you've never told anyone else before. Its OK. If I went through what you did at that age…there's no shame in feeling sad sometimes Lia…"

Lia smiled at him. A tender, real smile. She hadn't given one of those in years. Not since…

She got up. "Thanks Il Lupo. You're not bad for a cold-hearted killer"

Il Lupo laughed. "Don't get _too _used to it bella donna. After all, there's going to be a lot of bloodshed before all is said and done"

Lia knew. The betrayal. The very thing that was on her mind but not something she felt she could share. Would she? She couldn't say…but at least it wouldn't be now.

Lia smiled at Il Lupo one last time and then left his room. There was one way to find out where she really stood and what she really wanted…

She went to Francesco Vecellio's room and knocked on the door. Upon being let in, she said, quite simply: "I have some information you might want to have"

-X-

This was it. The old docks where it always happened. It hadn't changed at all from how she remembered it, still the same old dilapidated mess, the stench of uncleaned floors and rotting wood punctuating the air even from where she stood.

This was it. This was the point of no return. It was here that she would decide once and for all who she was and where her loyalties lied.

It was a surprisingly easy decision. She strode forward without fear, walking to the point of origin of all her worst sins. Now it was time to atone.

She continued walking, always remembering that the men she had done the business with were always smart enough to keep two rooftop sentries on high alert at all times. She was unconcerned. She knew that Francesco and his men would take care of them…

She just kept walking, oblivious to all else as she kept going. As she did, she found herself thinking how she probably wouldn't have even considered doing any of this had she not told Il Lupo her story, and then reflected on it herself. But after doing so, and after seeing what the alternative to her old life was…she just felt the sudden urge to do this…do something right for a change…

She saw it up ahead: the trafficking ring. And she recognized several of the faces too. The same _feccia _that it had always been.

Sticking to the shadows, Lia ducked over to one side and climbed up a nearby building, scanning the whole area from atop her vantage point. She counted half-a-dozen men, all well armed, and she knew there were others. If she was to do this right, she'd have to play it smart.

But she knew them all. And she knew what to do. First a distraction. A loud noise. She gave an assassin on a nearby roof the signal, and he passed it on. Within moments, a gunshot rang off in the distance. Alarmed, the group ordered two of the ones with guns to investigate. And as Lia predicted, a third, who she had remembered was abrasive and trigger-happy, went with them, eager to have something to shoot at.

_Predictable _Lia thought. That took out half of the initial force right there. And reduced to half strength, the remaining four came out of hiding, and all of them were now on edge. All the more easier to sneak up on and ambush.

Lia's eyes next fell on the boat the traffickers had come on. With the crossbow she had brought, she fired at the rope holding the ship in the pier. It missed, but she had been counting on that. The mere firing of it had distracted them, leaving them fatally unprepared for what came their way. Before they could spot her, she came down from her vantage point and stuck to the shadows.

They were panicking now, she could tell. Even from her distance, she could see them shake, could hear their rotund commander bark out orders. He was cowardly, and also impatient. So he would send two more of them to look for the three that hadn't come back yet. He also sent another two in the direction of the shooter. He always sent two men to answer every problem. No more, no less. It was a solid policy, but had also made him hopelessly predictable.

The two that came her way never even saw her. Without warning, two arrows zipped through the air and embedded themselves in the men's chests. They gasped in pain and fell down dead. Lia strode forward past them, causing the remaining three traffickers to finally notice her. Drawing their swords, the two bulky hoodlums, whom Lia knew would be the last ones left because their boss always kept them close at his side, rushed to said boss's defense. Undeterred, Lia kept moving, and soon joining her were a pair of assassin apprentices, one armed with a rapier, and the other a mace that he hefted over his shoulder. Without much warning, Lia and the two apprentices charged the remaining three traffickers, who ran forward to meet them.

The resulting struggle was short but brutal. The two brutes with swords were hardy, but the greater skill and precision of the apprentices left them completely outmatched. That just left the leader, who was felled by Lia herself, with a stab from the hidden blade. As he died, he saw her face. Whether or not he recognized as his former partner in crime, she couldn't tell. But regardless, it was done. The gang of human traffickers were now all dead.

That just left one thing to do. Walking onto the boat, Lia approached a large box-shape covered up by sheets. Throwing the sheets off, Lia revealed them to be cages filled with half-nude prisoners, most of them young women, trembling in fear and crying. Seeing them, Lia found herself consumed with self-loathing at how she had participated in this before. Well, not this time. With a slash of her sword, the locks to the cages fell to the floor in pieces, and the slaves were freed. At first unsure what to make of their newfound freedom, they all quickly came over their bewilderment and left the boat in an onrushing tide and to the assassins who were there to help get them to a safer place. As they did, a smaller girl, the youngest one by far, both out of the group and of any Lia had seen, looked up and smiled at her.

And it was with that that she knew once and for all who she was

-X-

Lia's leading the complete and total destruction of the last human trafficking operation in Rome gained her quite a bit of attention from the others in the brotherhood. Everywhere she went upon returning to the island, everyone looked at her differently, but in a way that conveyed more respect then she had ever gotten before. It felt good, she realized, much better then she had ever felt before. Even the old thrill she used to have gotten from stealing valuable treasures couldn't match up to this…

Finally, she approached Machiavelli. To her mild surprise, he was actually smiling.

"Well, Il Falco, I must admit…you served the brotherhood well tonight"

Lia nodded. "Thank you Machiavelli"

"And so, to that end, I believe that the time has indeed come to raise your rank and status in the brotherhood. Il Falco, I bestow upon you the rank of disciple."

Lia found herself surprisingly struck by this. As Machiavelli's words sunk in, she found herself growing happier and prouder still.

She nodded respectfully. "Thank you Machiavelli"

And so there it was. She was no longer the Smuggler Lia de Russo, but Lia de Russo, the Assassin. _Il Falco._

And now she had to tell him.

**Author's Note: And there you go, the story had lived up to its title. But don't think its over yet, oh no…we're not even two thirds done! Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this and that Lia's redemption came off as believable. More to come!**


	10. Wily Nily

Chapter 10: Wily, Nily

Lia had no idea how Il Lupo was going to react to what she was about to say to him. For all she knew about him, or rather what she thought she knew, he was still a Templar spy. And yet, if it had been any other, she would never have said anything, so Il Lupo had some of her trust at any rate.

But how did she really expect him to react to the news? Be elated that she had turned her back on the Templar order? She didn't know, and maybe she didn't even want to know what he would say or do, but she had to tell him. And ay any rate, the news probably reached him by now. She should be the one to tell him why exactly…

She went to his door and knocked on it. She found herself tensing up as the moment was now upon her, and then Il Lupo opened the door…

She could see his eyes widen in total surprise as he took in her new appearance. Gone was the old white and gray uniform she had worn during her time as an apprentice, and in its place was new regalia to go with her new rank.

It was still mostly white, in keeping with the assassins, but more intricate. She wore a tunic over the leggings with red stripes, a white battle-skirt with red lining and brown sides. The upper half of her clothing was a bit like her old Smuggler outfit, only a brown bodice with a belt at the waist, and with full white sleeves like those on a blouse, cinched at the top of the triceps and the elbow with leather bands. A cape had also been added to her hood, long and crimson red. Even her boots had had some armor added over them.

Lia made a slight smile as she could see Il Lupo's eyes scanning Lia from head to toe, taking in her new appearance with a look that she was smart enough to know was impressive admiration mixed in with awkward surprise.

"Lia…I…I see that you have ascended in the ranks…"

Lia nodded.

"Well, uh…congratulations…I guess we're the same rank now…"

He had clearly been taken off-guard, Lia could see it all over his face and in his more awkward speech. Lia decided to end his misery by taking the initiative.

"May I please come in?"

"Oh…uh, of course."

Il Lupo stepped to one side and Lia entered. Il Lupo shut the door and turned to her.

"So what is this about Lia?"

Lia sighed. This was it. Now or never. The moment of truth. Well, she reasoned that if worst came to worst, she had her hidden blade on hand.

"Il Lupo…can I tell you something?"

Il Lupo nodded. "Of course Lia. We are, as I had said last time we spoke, open books to each-other now…"

Lia nodded. "OK…did you hear about the assassins taking down that group of slavers?"

"Yes, I did. Heard they were slaughtered without a fight…"

"Well I told them where it was. Even knew how to kill them all with ease. Look, Il Lupo…I…when we talked last time…it got me thinking…looking back on my past, and as I did, I realized…I've never been happy working for the Templars and the Borgia. The most I ever got was a passing thrill here and there, but in the end, when I look back on it I've just found myself realizing how alone and miserable I've been…but…when I stopped those slavers…slavers that I used to work with when I was a smuggler…and I saw the looks those people gave me…I felt good. Better then I've felt in years, much better then I've felt during my whole time as a smuggler and a Templar…look, Il Lupo, I…I'm not a Templar anymore. I no longer want to have that life. I don't know if I really believe in what the assassins fight for, or if I want to be one forever, but I know that I don't want to be a Templar anymore"

As Lia drifted off, unsure of how to finish or what else to say to Il Lupo, an uncomfortable silence overtook the room as Il Lupo's demeanor was hard and unexpressive. As the seconds ticked by, and the seconds to minutes, Lia found Il Lupo's silence and unforgiving demeanor maddening.

Finally though, Il Lupo sighed and said: "Lia…you just saved me from a real dilemma."

Lia raised an eyebrow. Though she hadn't known how to expect Il Lupo to respond, she had definitely not expected anything resembling _that _response.

"What do you mean?"

"Lia…do you remember when I showed you the outline for my plan to betray the Assassins Order?"

Lia nodded. "Yes, you showed it to me…"

"Well, here's the honest truth: I _know _the plan is half-hearted and pathetic. That's because I didn't bother to finish it, because I have abandoned the task the Templars have assigned to me. I've given up on my plans of betraying the assassins, the same as you…I had wanted to tell you at some point, or convinced myself that I could continue to deceive you, because I had no idea if you were still loyal to them or not, but…"

He managed a weak smile.

"…You saying what you said just cleared that matter up for me…"

There was silence once more between them as Lia found herself caught completely off-guard by Il Lupo's confession. At any rate, it did help her realize something…

"…So when you killed the Pariah a few weeks ago, it wasn't to keep up appearances…"

Il Lupo shook his head. "No. It was because he was an enemy now. Or he's supposed to be anyway…"

Lia raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Il Lupo let out another sigh. He had a weary air about him, as if he had been beaten into the earth several times over by some unstoppable force only to crawl out broken and battered each time.

"Lia…I'm no more a Templar anymore then you are, but I'm still so conflicted…I don't know if the life of an assassin is one I really want to lead. I mean, yes, its been a better life then that of a Templar lackey, but…I just don't know if I want this to be my life's vocation. Living in the shadows all my life fighting a war that we might not ever win…its just…Lia, I've been thinking really, and…I don't think there's anything for me after death. If there is any greater power out there, I don't think he cares about people like you and me…Lia…I don't want to die in this war"

And once again there was total silence between them, as Lia found that she was left torn. Though Il Lupo was no longer a Templar, he was still not truly an assassin either. And he _had_ brought up a good point. Could the assassins ever truly defeat the Templars for good? Would Lia just waste her entire life fighting a hopeless never-ending war? And what if the assassins lost? She knew that the Templars would not hesitate in striking her down now that she was just another assassin. And if they found out she was a traitor…

Lia could understand Il Lupo's dilemma, now having a similar one herself. What was she to do?

Il Lupo was next to speak, his voice filled with desperation, weariness, and despair. This was not the same man she had grown used to.

"Lets just get out of here together. Forget the assassins and the Templars and their damn war. Leave Rome and go some place else…together."

Lia was caught off guard by that last bit. Not just the words but the way in which Il Lupo had spoken them.

"Il Lupo…are you suggesting we run away together?" She asked slyly, a small amused grin forming.

"I'm serious Lia! I mean…maybe we should, maybe we shouldn't, I'm not entirely sure. I just…I don't to die…or to lose you"

Now Lia was surprised. And she quickly caught on to what his words really meant. And all of a sudden, all those unexplained feelings Lia had had for a while, those times her heart had raced when she'd seen him, the anger she had felt when she heard he was with Fiorra, it all made sense…

Lia moved closer to him, but it seemed that he was reluctant to let her come too close. But then he dropped his arms and Lia walked closer to him still. Her hands went for his hood and she pulled it back. He put his hands to her face as she did…

"It would seem there's spark between us you and I"

"Yes" Il Lupo agreed. "But…is now the right time?"

Lia shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. But life is short, and like you said, it might be all we have. Let's make the most of it…

And so he did not resist as she brought her face closer to his and their lips touched…

-X-

The next couple days went by in a fairly uneventful fashion. Lia found herself lost in her thoughts for most of the time, constantly reflecting back to her and Il Lupo's shared confessions with one another, their growing intimacy, their kiss…

That was an especially special memory. Her lips tingled whenever she thought back to that, and she suspected that Il Lupo had cherished it too. She noticed that both he and her were now much more relaxed in posture. He even wore his hood down sometimes now when he knew Fiorra wasn't around.

Fiorra. Lia found herself becoming just a bit contemptuous of the Courtesan. Sure, she had made her presence worthwhile by providing the assassins with information on other Templar agents. In addition to Rocco Tiepolo and his band of mercenaries, the Officer Teodor Viscardi had also met at the hands of the assassins courtesy of the information Fiorra provided…

Lia didn't really care about that, since she had never met any of these Templars, and she wasn't a Templar herself anymore, it didn't matter to her what happened to the others. No, Lia was concerned about herself and Il Lupo only. She still wasn't sure whether she would stay in the brotherhood and fully become one of them, or follow Il Lupo's suggestion and run away with him…

"Il Falco"

Lia almost jumped as Francesco's voice shook her out of her thoughts. She turned around to face him.

"What is it Francesco?"

"Fiorra has just given us the locations of two more Templars. I want you and Il Lupo to lead the group we are sending after them."

Lia nodded. "Very well. Do we know which Templars they are?"

"Yes. The Harlequin and the Hellequin"

-X-

Cahin and Caha according to Fiorra's information had been spotted near a local tavern, entertaining the various drunkards in and near the tavern for free drinks, and no doubt also there for information and probably an assassination or two. It really didn't matter. They'd more or less cornered themselves and they were going to pay dearly for it. Lia was going to be leading the initial group that would confront the two and hopefully kill them when they were not expecting an attack, and be finished with it quickly. But should the two jesters catch on and attempt to fight there way out, Il Lupo, Fiorra, and several others lied in wait as reinforcements.

Lia kept her white hood over her face and went in with three other assassins. Since the fancy white, gray, and red uniforms of the assassins weren't exactly inconspicuous, all of them wore longer brown cloaks around them as they moved in.

The crowd near the tavern was such a loud, rowdy, and cacophonous assembly of drunkards, beggars, and others that Lia found herself wondering if disguises were even necessary. Most of the people seemed either too drunk or too stupid or both to be paying much attention to anyone. Nevertheless, Lia and the other assassins kept their brown cloaks around them as they went to where the sounds of laughter rang the loudest, cuing them into the location of their colorful targets.

They moved their way past the crowds could see plainly the Hellequin Caha entertaining an assembled group of drunkards, in ways that were more then a little suggestive and provocative. Evidently seduction was just one of the Hellequin's many tricks.

Lia looked around to see where her brother could be and spied the Harlequin juggling no less than six balls effortlessly. Lia turned to two of the assassins and nodded. They made their way near to where Caha was, intending to kill her when she was unaware. Lia and the other two assassins meanwhile, went over to where Cahin was.

As they came closer, Cahin finally finished his juggling performance and put the balls back into a pouch. The watching pedestrians cheered and clapped as Lia and the two assassins closed in.

"Thank you, thank you, you've all been such a _wonderful _audience. Best one I've ever had in fact. Of course then again I often give…"different performances"

Cahin chuckled to himself before looking up to see Lia and the assassins.

"Ah, and what is this? More would-be viewers of my amazing and incomparable array of tricks and performances? Splendid. I'm always up to indulge more of the masses…"

Cahin's eyes fell upon Lia's face and she realized too late that he might recognize it.

"Ah, but I see that you are not of the average ilk. Oh no, no…yours is a greater presence in this montage of life. A bigger role on the stage. Am I right…Hashshasins?"

Outed by their adversary, Lia and the assassins threw off their brown cloaks and drew their respective weapons. A smoke bomb was thrown, and coupled with the arrival of assassins sent the crowd into a panic as most of the people scattered and ran off in all directions. Among the chaos, Lia could see that the Hellequin had drawn her daggers and that they were already covered in blood. And indeed, the two assassins that had tried to kill her lied dead at her feet.

"Tsk, tsk tsk. Always has to come to a battle of the blades doesn't it? Never a struggle of wits or whims or a duel of banter? So be it. I prefer the chaos of these fights anyway…"

Lia turned to her fellow assassins. "He's babbling on purpose. He's trying to distract you. Don't let him. Keep your guard up"

"Distract you? Oh no, no, no _mon Cher, _I simply speak the truths that are presented before me. A pity you cannot comprehend them yourself…but tell me something _mon amie_…" Cahin reached for his daggers and the assassins pepared to lunge at him.

"…you ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?"

One of the assassins eyes widened in response to this innocuous question, which proved to be a fatal distraction. In a blur-like motion, Cahin drew two daggers, and twirled them before hurling one right into the chest of the assassin whom he had taken off guard, killing him instantly. Lia and the other assassin moved in with their swords but the Harlequin leaped over their heads in an incredible display of acrobatic agility. The one remaining assassin rushed towards him. Cahin casually turned his torso, and the assassin's sword sailed harmlessly past his body. Cahin struck out with his dagger, trading a few blows with the assassin before spinning around and lunging forward, viciously and mercilessly stabbing the assassin with his knife several times and killing him. Before Lia could attack him next, the Hellequin was upon her, cartwheeling and kicking her, giving her a bloodied nose.

Steeling past the pain, Lia dodged the thrust of Caha's knives and replied with a thrust of her own, having been taught long ago by Blaise that in close-combat the thrust was always preferable to hacking and slashing. And indeed, with another thrust, Lia made a cut in the Hellequins hood, forcing her to furiously pull it down.

_Thanks for the advice Blaise Legros_

But seeing that she was outnumbered, Lia backstepped and waited for Il Lupo and Fiorra's reinforcements to arrive.

They came, and they weren't the only ones. As luck would have it, two more assassins had been nearby and rushed in as well, sending the square into total chaos as clanging steel and the sounds of the Harlequin and the Hellequin's banter and kicks respectively all rang through the air in such a cacophonous unison that Lia wouldn't be surprised if it attracted at least half the city guard. They would have to end this quickly.

Lia rushed towards the Hellequin once more, thrusting forward again and again only for her sword to strike at thin air each time. Caha deftly avoided every strike and blow Lia made, and replied with both lethal stabs and slashes that were barely avoided, and also gracefully deadly acrobatics, delivering fearsome and punishing kicks to the other assassins attacking her. As the fight continued, Lia could see Fiorra keeping her distance, apparently content to just watch the spectacle playing out before her. Lia cursed deeply under her breath and found herself fighting the urge to go after her instead.

She ducked under another slash of Caha's daggers and tripped her with a sweeping kick. With a snap, Lia's hidden blade came out and she prepared to lunge.

"Requiescat in pace _cagna"_

"I don't think so"

Caha did a backwards somersault, kicking Lia back as she did, and stabbed another assassin as she got up. Another assassin thrusted at her neck, and she only barely moved out of the way in time, the thrust, cutting up her hood even more. Infuriated, Caha tore it off and resumed fighting.

Lia shot a look over to where Cahin was. The Harlequin and Il Lupo had now personally engaged one another, the latter backed up by three other assassins. Cahin was using all of the agility he could muster against his attackers, dodging strike after strike, blow after blow, but as Lia could tell, he finally seemed to be tiring. And having thrown another dagger at another assassin, he was now left with but one knife to defend himself. Lia was sure he would fall soon…

But then Cahin leapt into the air unexpectedly, and swung out with his knife. And as Lia looked on in horror, she could see which assassin was in the way of the slash.

Lia looked on in silent horror as Cahin's knife delivered a vicious slash across Il Lupo's face. Blood sailed outwards in a curving angle as Il Lupo screamed in pain and sank to his knees. With the world going silent and everything around her becoming a blur, Lia raced forwards to Il Lupo, terrified at how terrible his injuries were. But as she did, she could see Il Lupo rise to his feet once again. With a snap, out came his hidden blade and he lunged forward. Cahin dodged the strike and ducked under another assassin's swing…and Il Lupo lunged forwards with his sword.

Cahin looked down and could see Il Lupo's blade now embedded in his chest, blood seeping out of the wound and down his green and purple costume. Seeing it, Cahin chuckled weakly.

"Heh…it would seem my costume has a third color now…" He weakly stared at his killer.

"Good show my boy…good show…"

And then the other assassins stabbed as well, and Cahin slumped to the ground dead, his body lying against the building he had been backed up against. Seeing her brother die, Caha cried out in a rage. Her eyes fell upon Fiorra.

"YOU _PARTIE DE MERDE! JE VAIS TU TUER! _TRAITRE SALOPE_!"_

In an unstoppable rage that even Lia was unsettled by, Caha fought her way through the assassins, viciously slashing the throat of one and stabbing another as she ran after Fiorra. The Courtesan readied her fan in defense and the two fought as the assassins fought. The Courtesan slashed out with her fan without hesitation or mercy, but Caha was vicious in her attacks. It wasn't long before both of them were badly bloodied from their duel.

But eventually, Caha's rage seemed to dissipate, and she instead turned to her fallen brother. She cradled his body and removed his mask, although Lia couldn't see his face. As she stroked her dead brother's cheek, an assassin walked up and aimed his crossbow at her.

"I take no pleasure in what comes next…"

And with a pull of the trigger a crossbow bolt flew through the air and the Hellequin joined her brother. The assassin who killed her solemnly walked towards the two dead siblings, having clearly hated having to do what he did, and said what all assassins said to their victims.

"_Posso voi e la vostra Fratello essere insieme morte. Requiescat in pace"_

And just like that it was over. The Harlequin and the Hellequin were dead, but so were at least five assassins. The two jesters had not gone down without a fight, and as Lia turned to Il Lupo to inspect his injury, she found herself silently wondering if it was worth it…

And then she saw Il Lupo's face. Cahin's knife had left a hideous upward-slanting scar that went across his entire face from his lower left cheek all the way to the right edge of his forehead. Lia found herself fighting back tears as she looked at it. One of the assassins walked over to her and Il Lupo. She turned to him.

"We need to get him back to the island. He needs help"

The assassin nodded. He turned to the others. "Gather up the dead. We leave now"

And with that the assassins left, Lia helping Il Lupo stand up and walk as he clutched his still bleeding face. As they did, Lia turned and saw Fiorra staring at her and Il Lupo with a hard gaze…

**Author's Note: And there you go! This chapter definitely earned its M rating. And with the deaths of Cahin and Caha we reach the two thirds mark! Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me this long!**

"**Hashshasin" refers to a group of Arabian killers during the crusades, and yes, its where we get the word "assassin from" **

**The assassin's Italian lines translated (roughly) to: "May you and your brother be together in death. Rest in peace" As for Caha's stream of curses…well, lets just say I'm not going to be translating that.**

**And yes, Lia's assassin outfit is more or less just her elite gear in white.**


	11. Taking the Bait

Chapter 11: Taking the Bait

Lia walked into the room where Il Lupo lay recovering from the injury he had sustained in his battle with the Harlequin. Since taking him back to the island, Lia had been unable to see Il Lupo up to this point, but could now see plainly the current condition of his face. After a few days of care, Il Lupo's face was no longer caked with blood and his injury was now a long ugly scar across his face.

Il Lupo smiled weakly upon seeing Lia enter.

"Hello Lia. You are a sight for sore eyes bella donna"

Lia smiled faintly. For once she didn't mind Il Lupo calling her that.

"Now don't lie to me…" he said continuing. "…how bad is it?"

Lia's faint smile turned into a more mischievous grin.

"Hell Il Lupo, you were ugly before, just keep your hood up and no one will notice any difference"

Il Lupo burst out laughing. "Heh, heh…" his smile disappeared and his face tightened up and took on an expression of pain. "Ouch. Ah, damn, it still hurts to move my face…"

Lia's eyes fell again upon the scar. The sick-looking wound snaked and across his entire face in a bent-looking line, a single ugly mark on an otherwise decent face.

"So I take it this means I'm not going to be getting another kiss anytime soon?"

"Oh I wouldn't be too sure of that…" Lia said, her lips forming into a slight grin that matched the amused tone in her voice. "…I think a little something to make you feel better isn't out of the question…"

Il Lupo grinned as Lia leaned forward and pressed her lips against his…

-X-

Malfatto sat hunched over his table applying the finishing touches into his schematics for his special little weapon, heaving a sigh of frustration both out of the strain of doing something that was not his strong suit, and also how his little creation was not likely to see the light of day while he still drew breath.

It was a small thing, with a cylindrical-shaped tube as the main body, and with three holes, two on either side of one end of the instrument, and the third on top. The user would put his index and ring fingers through the side-holes and then put his thumb through the top one. When he pressed down, the poison that would be inserted into the center of the device would flow through a long pointy needle that would be inserted into the victim's body (preferably the arm or neck area) and through this enter the victim's blood-stream. It would be quick, it would be clean, and best of all, it would be easy to carry and conceal. Truly the perfect assassination weapon.

But alas, as Malfatto had found to his enormous chagrin, he was missing one key part of his new weapon, his "syringe" as he had decided to name it, and that was the matter of the needle. For such a weapon to work, Malfatto required the right material for the needle, otherwise it would be little better then a thin and pointy knife. He needed a special type of metal, a steel preferably, but one that lacked the impurities of other metals, in particular the rusting of iron. But unfortunately, such a metal did not exist, and as such it seemed that Malfatto's ingenious killing tool would never be made…

The door burst open, practically coming off of its hinges as the man coming in kicked his way in. Malfatto looked up with a start and reached for his hatchet before seeing that it was Cesare storming in, with Malfatto's protégé behind him, having tried in vain to deter Cesare and now with a black eye for his troubles.

"THREE!" Cesare screamed so loudly Malfatto was sure they could hear him in Venice. "Three of my best underworld agents have been killed! AND WITHIN THREE DAYS OF EACH-OTHER!"

Cesare overturned the nearby table, causing it to break and scattering its many contents across the stone floor. Malfatto said nothing in response to this, sweat dripping down his forehead behind his mask as he held tightly onto his hatchet. Cesare pointed directly at him.

"No more damn excuses! These assassin _bastardi _die. IMMEDIATELY! OR ITS YOUR HEAD ON A PIKE!"

Cesare's face was going from the red of his cape to blue as he continued to scream and fume. Malfatto remained silent. In truth he was terrified. And throughout the entire time he had worked for Cesare and his father, throughout all of his outbursts and glorified temper-tantrums, there had never been a time before this one that he had been genuinely scared. Fortunately, no sooner had Cesare delivered his message then he left, cursing a blue streak as he went. But Malfatto's relief was short-lived, for Cesare's ultimatum weighed heavily on his mind. He had to act, and fast, or he would become the Borgia's next victim.

Malfatto turned to his protégé: "Seraffo, stay here. I'm going out to…meet with some contacts"

-X-

Lia wrenched her mouth away from Il Lupo's, cutting off their passionate moment of kissing when she felt one of Il Lupo's hands reaching for her pants.

"I can't"

"Why not?" Il Lupo asked.

"Just not right now, please…its not a good time for it…"

"Suit yourself" Il Lupo said passively, letting go of Lia's pants. She pulled them fully back up and then turned over so that she was on top of Il Lupo again, and their kissing resumed.

"I must say bella donna, you have some truly amazing lips"

"Just keep your tongue where it belongs _stronzo._"

Il Lupo grinned as he and Lia continued to kiss each-other. Their exchange of passion continued until Lia heard a knock on the door. Jumping up with a start, Lia pulled herself off of Il Lupo and stood up fully as the door opened and Luigi walked in. He eyed the pair with an expression that was somewhere between bewilderment and horror before shaking his head and muttering: "I don't want to know". His gaze turned to Lia.

"Il Falco, Francesco would like to speak with you"

Lia shot Il Lupo a nervous look. The Prowler nodded in response, and Lia walked off with Luigi to speak with Francesco.

-X-

"What did you wish to speak with me about Francesco?"

"Ah yes, Il Falco. I thought that it time that I speak with you about a matter that has recently come to my and Machiavelli's attention."

"What? Has something happened?"

"Well, in a manner of speaking: I've been told that there is a spy within the brotherhood's ranks"

Lia's heart skipped a beat and she fought to keep from exposing herself right there. A spy…so they knew, or at least suspected it. But how had they found out? Yes, Lia and Il Lupo had talked, but only in private and behind closed doors with lowered voices. Could someone still have overheard? No, then she would have exposed immediately, without the need for questioning…

Francesco continued, mercifully confirmed that no, she hadn't been outed just yet: "We don't know who it is yet, or if there even is one, but if there is in fact a spy, we must identify him or her immediately. We can't have them exposing our location to the Borgia…"

Lia remained silent, her mind racing with different ideas of what she should or could do. Suddenly Il Lupo's suggestion of them just abandoning the Assassins order and fleeing Rome seemed much more reasonable. Even though the two of them had quietly turned their backs on the Templar Order, Lia knew the assassins. No force on earth would save her or Il Lupo if they were exposed. Whether or not they were still loyal to the Templars was irrelevant.

Finally, Francesco finished: "…So to this end Il Falco, I would like you to be on the look-out for suspicious activities or persons. If you see anything, report it to myself, Machiavelli, or Luigi, but no one else. And do not speak of this meeting to anyone."

Lia took these instructions in, along with the immense irony of the situation. Finally, she responded, using every ounce of courage and self-control she possessed to keep her tone neutral and prevent fear from entering her voice.

"I will do my utmost Francesco"

"Very good Il Falco. Such a dedicated follower of the Creed. If only more apprentices were like you…"

Lia couldn't help but feel somewhat guilty at being told that but brushed it off. She wasn't a Templar anymore, so she had no reason to feel guilty…but she _was _keeping a secret…

Should she just tell them now? Get the truth out in the open and hope they forgave her? No…they would not forgive her. They were just as brutal and merciless as her former employers, the only real differences being their motives. But as far as killers went they were no less hardened and brutal. At least not from what she'd seen of them.

But had Ezio not spared her life? And he was their grand-master. And after everything she had done for them, surely they could see past her temporary deceit?

"Francesco, may I tell you something?"

"Of course Il Falco. What is it?"

"I…" She paused. The doubts and fears were still there, and she also thought of Il Lupo. If nothing else, she had to ask his opinion first.

"….Nothing. Never mind. I will search for the spy Francesco. You have my word"

-X-

Lia traversed the streets and rooftops of Rome deep in thought. Her mind still dwelled on the matter of her previous loyalties being in danger of being exposed. Really, she shouldn't be worrying so much, as the Assassins still did not suspect her at all and trusted her fully. But there was one thing that bothered her: how had the Assassins come to suspect that there was a traitor in the first place?

Lia was shaken out of her thoughts as she was making her usual rounds through Rome's eastern side, by cries of anguish and sobbing. Turning to the source, Lia made her way there and saw a Courtesan on her knees, crying and her clothes stained with her friend's blood. The woman was in front of the other Courtesan's body, but a part of Lia told her that that was for the best.

"G-d damn him! Damn that monster to the pits of hell!"

"Who did this?" Lia asked, a part of her already knowing who it probably was.

The Courtesan turned to her, tears streaming down her eyes which had since become blood-shot.

"Who do you think? Malfatto that's who! That monster's struck again! I thought you damn assassins had killed him! And now my friend's been butchered like a pig at a slaughterhouse!"

The Courtesan continued to wail and cry, and Lia found herself remembering her own near-death experience at Malfatto's hands, causing her to become greatly empathetic with the poor Courtesans.

"I will kill him for good. This I promise you. Do you have any idea where he might have gone?"

"HOW SHOULD I KNOW WHERE THAT MONSTER GOES?" The courtesan screamed. "I didn't even see it! I just came out looking for Romola only to find her like this!"

The Courtesan continued to cry and sob before finally calming down and saying: "He…he might have gone that way…" The Courtesan weakly pointed in a direction that had left a faint blood trail before disappearing. Lia nodded and turned back to the Courtesan: "Thank you. I will find him and kill him"

The Courtesan nodded and then said: "Be sure to aim for the head, because that monster doesn't have a heart!"

Lia nodded and then went in the direction of the faint blood trail and then when it disappeared, asked nearby pedestrians if they had seen a doctor, possibly with blood-stained robes. To Lia's surprise, a fair number of people had, in fact seen a doctor with blood-stained clothing and continued pointing the two assassins in the direction he had supposedly gone. As they kept making their way through the city after Malfatto, Lia thought: "_Malfatto's getting careless…I don't like it. He's an experienced killer, he shouldn't be this sloppy about his escape…_

Nevertheless, Lia pressed onwards, following until she saw again some speckles of blood. Looking forward, Lia saw a robed figure with a tri-cornered hat running away, and Lia could see clearly that he was the one leaving behind the blood trail.

Seeing that she had her target, Lia made her way to him before he suddenly broke into a run. Reasoning that he heard her coming, Lia gave chase after him, pushing past the people in the streets as she ran after the mad-man. They zig-zagged their way through the cramped streets of the area, finally coming out into the greater and wider part of the city, which also allowed more room to maneuver. Malfatto seized on this and renewed his efforts to escape Lia, who only ran faster herself in response. Soon, as Lia continued her chase, she began to close in on the evil doctor, and finally, when she was sure she was close enough, drew a throwing knife and hurled it…right into the Doctor's back.

Malfatto gasped in pain as the knife embedded itself in his back, and Lia hurled another one into him for good measure. Malfatto hunched over and fell forward. Lia raced forward to examine his body. She removed the knives and cleaned the blood off of them.

"I did it…I killed Malfatto…"

Lia extended a foot and turned Malfatto's body over…only to see a man who did not wear Malfatto's mask.

"No, unfortunately _amore mio, _you killed my protégé…_my_ decoy"

Lia turned and saw the real Malfatto stride forward, his hatchet in one hand, and a meat cleaver in the other.

"I must say _amore mio, _you and Seraffo put up quite an impressive chase…"

Lia drew her sword and pointed it at him.

"So I take it that dead Courtesan wasn't your handiwork?"

"Of course not. I wouldn't have been as sloppy with my getaway…"

"That's what I thought. Well it doesn't matter. You're still a dead man Malfatto"

"Ah, so you want to fight eh? Well, I'm not in the mood. I'll just watch"

And then, before Lia could utter a response, Malfatto shouted: "PAPAL GUARDS!"

Out of nowhere, a trio of the distinctive black-armored Swiss Mercenaries ran forward, one with a short sword drawn, the second a halberd, and the third with a longer sword sheathed and a pistol at the ready. Soon, they were upon Lia, who just stared at them with dread.

_There is no way my luck is this bad…_

Malfatto spoke once more: "And now that I have you right where I want you _amore mio, _it is time to remove you from my life, once and for all…"

-X-

Il Lupo walked around the familiar halls of the villa deep in thought. His scar would take some getting used to, but it was far from a serious injury in the long run, he knew that. And at least he wasn't dead.

Il Lupo thought about Lia, and how that they had become incredibly close lately, which only made him think more and more that perhaps they should just leave Rome and start a new life together…

Il Lupo shook his head. What was he thinking? One did not just simply leave the Assassin's order. It was not possible. And besides, start a new life and settle down? That wasn't who he was…still, he couldn't help but like the idea of he and Lia finding a nice little vineyard to retire to, start a family…

Il Lupo was shaken out of his fantasies in the worst way possible. A deafening boom rang through the air, shattering the peace and quiet, as something tore through a wall and left behind flames, splintered wood, and a gaping hole. Rushing outside to see what the cause of it was, Il Lupo's blood froze. There, off in the sea, assaulting the island, was a small number of ships, and Il Lupo could see the flag they bore.

_The Borgia…_

On board the lead vessel, the Marquis, Charles de la Motte, turned to the Knight, Verulo Gallo. Charles typically detested working with the inferior Italian Templars, but it was to destroy the cursed Assassins, so he would tolerate the brute's presence.

"Tell your men to prepare for an all-out assault on the island. I don't want any assassins leaving this island alive"

Verulo nodded wordlessly and Charles turned to the men operating the cannons on his ship.

"FIRE AGAIN!"

**Author's Note: Yikes! Nasty cliffhanger huh? Well fear not! The story's not over yet! Thanks again to those who have stuck with me for this long. Not much else to say this time. Just that I hope you enjoyed!**


	12. The Siege of Tiber Island

Chapter 12: The Siege of Tiber Island

The Papal Guards, or the "Swiss Guard" were an elite group of Swiss mercenaries who had long ago been pledged to the Pope and the Vatican for eternity as a show of Sweden's devotion to the Catholic Church. Armed with the best of weapons and typically towering over most other men, the Papal Guards were considered by the Assassin's Order to be the absolute best and elite of Rome's guards. Lia had heard of more then one assassin who had been felled by just one of these Swiss mercenaries.

And now here Lia was, confronted by three of them.

It seemed like the world slowed down for a moment as Lia thought of what she could do. To stand and fight was foolhardy, as she was outnumbered and hopelessly outmatched to boot. She could perhaps run, but the Papal Guards were surprisingly fast and nimble in spite of their heavy armor. What was she to do then?

Well, she could think of one thing. Before the lead guard could fire off a shot with his pistol, Lia unloaded her entire reserve of smoke bombs into the Papal Guards path, creating a dark gray cloud so large one would think there was fire nearby. Knowing that even if this wouldn't slow them down for long, Lia bolted, eyes on the look-out for a horse to steal.

She happened upon one, and leapt forward, throwing the man off and racing off, ignoring the torrent of expletives he shouted at her in response. Lia just kept the horse moving, navigating the various alleys and snaking pathways of Rome in the hope that she could lose the Papal Guards. After covering enough distance, Lia dared to look back and saw none of the distinctive black-armored guards pursuing her. For a moment, Lia breathed a sigh of relief, before she heard the faint sound of cannon-fire in the distance…

Lia looked around and could see a pillar of smoke off in the distance, near…

_No…_

Lia directed her tiring horse to the site of the smoke pillar, praying to whatever deity or other greater power that might hear her that it wasn't Tiber Island where the smoke was coming from…

A shot ripped through the one of the horse's legs. The beast gave out a gasp and a neigh of pain and collapsed, Lia realizing what was happening just in time to get off without breaking her neck. Looking up, she saw a sight that made her despair all the more: one of the Papal Guards had found her, now atop his own horse.

The Papal Guard readied his pistol and Lia leaped to one side to avoid the shot. Hurriedly taking out her crossbow, Lia fired an arrow into the Papal Guard's horse, aiming for the head. The Papal Guard couldn't move his steed out of the way in time and it was felled, causing the Papal Guard to fall over.

Seizing on her chance, Lia raced forward, intending to kill him while he was down. Quickly coming on top of him, Lia kicked the Papal Guard's pistol out of his hand but received a cut to the side of the leg from the guard's sword for her attack. Lia gasped in pain and backed away as the Papal Guard forced his dead horse's body off of him and stood up fully.

Lia only barely had enough time to see the Papal Guard coming in time to dodge out of the way, her cut and bleeding leg crying out in protest as she leaped out of the way of the Papal Guard's lunge and downward slash. The Papal Guard came at her again, making downward slashes that made more cuts, albeit not as serious as Lia's leg wound. Lia attempted to disarm the Papal Guard as he made his next attack but failed, so she opted to kick him back instead. The guard doubled over in pain, only to then slash outward again. Lia dodged the strike and retaliated with a strike of her own, which the Papal Guard deflected.

The Papal Guard made a thrust, but Lia side-stepped to avoid it, her cut and bleeding leg continuing to scream out in protest and causing waves of pain to wrack her body. Not an ideal fighting condition. By contrast, the Papal Guard did not look phased at all by the few minor injuries Lia had dealt to him, and it was painfully clear that he could take far more punishment then Lia had in her to dish out.

The Papal Guard lunged in yet again, Lia struggling to parry his blows. But the Papal Guard was more skilled, not to mention bigger and stronger, things he factored into his attack strategy. He was bringing as much of his weight down on Lia as he could, and Lia was simply in no condition to resist. With another slash, Lia's sword went sailing out of her hands.

Ducking under another slash of the Papal Guard's sword, Lia lunged forward with her hidden blade, but the Papal Guard managed to move his body partly out of the way, causing the hidden blade to inflict a deep cut in the side rather then a fatal blow. But it was enough that Lia could backpedal, cover more ground…

…Before collapsing. Her injured leg could endure no more and now she was on her knees. Lia's heart raced and her mind entered a desperate confused panic. She was in a position of helplessness, and her opponent was still alive but now also quite angry with her. In desperation, Lia's eyes darted this way and that for something, anything to giver her an advantage…

…And she saw the Papal Guard's pistol, which she had disarmed him off, lying in the grass just a few feet away.

Lunging forward with all of her strength, Lia desperately attempted to reach the gun in time as the Papal Guard bore down on her like a wolf about to finish off a wounded deer. Lia extended a gloved hand and grabbed the pistol. Wasting no time, Lia whipped around and fired blindly.

Lia heard the Papal Guard's sword clatter to the ground, followed by his tall, armored form collapsing, a puddle of blood forming from the area Lia had shot him in. Taking no chances, Lia forced herself up, and jammed her hidden blade into his throat for good measure.

"_Requiescat in Pace" _Lia said with a gasp of breath before cutting off the Papal Guard's cape and furiously turning it into a make-shift bandage over her leg. Then, with the Papal Guard's pistol now added to her arsenal and her sword recovered, she looked outwards at the pillar of smoke, and cursed herself for being unable to move with an injured leg. And she felt faint and light-headed from the blood she had lost.

Lia sighed deeply. She only hoped that Il Lupo was okay…

-X-

"_Bastardo!" _Il Lupo shouted as a bullet whizzed by him and he shot the Arquebusier who fired the shot with a crossbow. All around him, the sounds of clanging steel and dying screams could be heard as assassins of all different ranks fought off the swarm of armed guards that were assaulting the Tiber Island fortress. Because the attack had come as such a surprise, many recruits were completely unprepared and flat-footed, and the once lovely Island headquarters had become a killing ground as all too often the assassins were massacred by enemies they were not expecting.

Il Lupo dodged the thrust of a seeker and responded by stabbing his sword into him. His armor failing to stop the sword from going through, the seeker let out a gasp of pain and fell over, and Il Lupo grabbed his halberd, swinging it out at another guard and killing him and then hurling it like a javelin into the chest of another approaching seeker.

"Would someone please tell me how an army of Borgia soldiers found out were our base was?" Il Lupo screamed. His question went unanswered, but in fairness, they were in the middle of a battle, and his question was somewhat rhetorical anyhow. It didn't matter how they knew. What mattered was that they knew. And now the entire brotherhood was at serious risk.

Il Lupo dodged another attack and made the guard pay dearly for his recklessness. Fighting his way through the blood-stained halls, Il Lupo met up with a small group of apprentices who had been faring well, the several dead guards at their feet testament to their skills.

"Il Lupo! _Grazie a Dio! _We could use your assistance!"

"What is it?"

"We're doing well in repelling the Borgia's men, but we need to barricade the entrances and keep them reinforced, or they'll just keep coming. If we can make a good defensive position, we can hold them back longer…"

"What do you need me to do?"

"This mess of wood won't hold forever. We need a better barricade. Go down to the lower levels and get as many men as you can. Tell them to get anything we can find to barricade the entrance the Borgia made with their cannons. Once that's done, we all hold the line here and pray that the grandmaster returns soon with help"

Il Lupo nodded. "Understood" and ran off to complete his assigned tasks. The head assassin who gave it to him turned to his men as their crude temporary barricade began to splinter and break apart under renewed assault from the next wave of attackers.

"Men, you are assassins. Whatever comes through that opening, you will hold your ground!"

At this, the temporary barricade was fully smashed to pieces, splinters and chunks of wood flying in all directions as a trio of hulking armored figures burst in, the one in the center different from his cohorts in the appearance of his armor, most notably in the helmet he wore, which had a more rectangular shaped visor as opposed to the thin strip worn by the others, not to mention a red plume on the top. He also wielded not a battle-axe but a broad sword, which he hefted over his shoulder as he gave out his short and simple orders in a gruff-sounding voice:

"No mercy"

-X-

Despite Lia's injured leg continuing to keep her in a constant state of pain and agony, and her growing light-headedness making her dizzy and hampering her ability to move further, Lia still forced herself to keep going, desperate to get to Tiber Island in time…

_To do what? _The more rational part of her mind asked. _Help? You can barely stand up, never mind walk. All you'd be is a hindrance._

It was so true. But Lia was compelled to keep going. And that was because her lover might be in danger. Il Lupo was the only person she had ever loved since her uncle's death. She was not going to lose him now…

Lia saw a man on a horse riding forward, confusion coming upon his face as he saw Lia and the dead Papal Guard.

"What the hell is going on here? Why is there a dead Papal Gu—"

Lia raised the Papal Guard's pistol, and aimed it at the man's head.

"Get off your horse. Now"

The man looked flabbergasted and incredulous, but nevertheless obliged. Lia struggled to rise to her feet, a sight that prompted the man to charge her, until a shot near his feet discouraged him. Lia then hobbled to the man's horse, got on it, and rode off to the sight of the smoke pillar.

-X-

Il Lupo returned with both materials for the barricade and reinforcements, leading the latter through the flaming and blood-soaked halls of the once beautiful villa as they raced back to where the assassins manning the make-shift barricade were…

….Only to find them all dead, massacred without mercy and their previous barricade a ruined mess of splinters.

"Oh _merda._"

Il Lupo turned to the assassins he had gathered. "Get ready for hell my brothers"

And indeed, no sooner did Il Lupo say this then the perpetrators of the most recent assassin deaths revealed themselves, blood-stained weapons in hand as they trudged towards Il Lupo's band with renewed determination. The agiles, true to their nature, sprinted forward only to receive a hailstorm of crossbow bolts, throwing knives, and bullets for their troubles. Il Lupo shouted out orders as the brutes moved in to replace their fallen subordinates.

"Everyone gather around! Some of you! Get that barricade up! We'll hold of these brutes!"

Several of the assassins did as they were told, leaving Il Lupo and a handful of others to stand their ground against the two brutes and horde of seekers and militia who had already killed several assassins. Grimly acknowledging that he was woefully short of fighting forces and that he was also hopelessly outnumbered, Il Lupo nevertheless readied himself for the fight. As the first of the brutes lumbered towards him and hefted his axe, Il Lupo thought: _"I love you Lia. I just wish I'd gotten the chance to tell you"_

-X-

Lia rode forward ever faster towards the pillar of smoke, it becoming it more and more clear to her that the source of it was in fact Tiber Island, which only heightened her fears and anxiety and quickened her pulse as adrenaline surged through her ever-more. Finally, she came within sight of the island and her eyes bore full witness to what was transpiring: a small number of Borgia ships was in the process of attacking the island, ruthlessly firing away at it with cannons that blasted another chunk of the base away with each successful hit. Worse, Lia could see that at least two ships had docked, which meant that armed forces were directly assaulting the base as well. Against such a relentless assault, the island base was doomed to fall, and what made it worse was that the assassins would have great trouble reaching the boats successfully and escaping Tiber Island without being blasted straight to oblivion or whatever hereafter that might exist in its place.

And yet in spite of all of it, in spite of the utter hopelessness of the assassins plight and how she in her state would just end up as another dead assassin in the inevitable massacre, Lia raced forward on her horse once more, heading to a nearby boat to hijack. The assassins might be doomed, but Lia would not leave her lover behind. She would either find him and they'd escape together in the chaos, or she'd die with him.

-X-

The massive brute finally fell face-first on the floor dead at Il Lupo's feet. The now battered former Templar let out a sigh of relief that was cut short as he had to dodge out of the way of a militia-man's sword strike and punish him for his recklessness with a slash of his sword.

Il Lupo dared to cast a brief look over his shoulder. The assassins ordered to create a new barricade had been making steady progress with their assigned task, but Il Lupo now knew just what a hopeless task it truly was. The assault from the Borgia's forces was unrelenting, the sounds of cannon-fire and of cannon-balls ripping through more and more of the villa rang through the air in a non-stop cacophony of destruction. For the Borgia forces, it must have sounded like the glorious sounds of victory. To Il Lupo and the assassins it was a rhythm of doom.

Il Lupo now traded blows with the second brute, dodging his axe-swings as he desperately attempted to strike at one of the armored juggernaut's few weak-points. But this brute was more careful then the other one, and he blocked each stab of Il Lupo's sword and retaliated with vicious axe-swings that if they had connected would have taken one of Il Lupo's limbs straight off.

A shot rang out, the brute gasped in pain and whipped around only to be shot again, causing him to fall down dead, his battle-axe clanging to the floor. Il Lupo looked out and saw Francesco holding a smoking pistol. He gave Il Lupo a curt nod that he returned, before whipping around and shooting a charging seeker dead before his polearm could even touch him.

It was then that another brute-shaped figure came up, only wearing slightly different armor with a different helmet and brandishing a broadsword. From his appearance, Il Lupo guessed that he was some kind of knight. Indeed, he had heard stories of one of the Templar's many underworld agents and assassins being a "knight" (really more a mercenary) named Verulo Gallo.

"What is going on? What is taking so long?" The knight demanded. "Why haven't you-?"

The knight's eyes fell upon all the dead Borgia soldiers, including the two brutes.

"_Merda!_" the knight shouted angrily before hefting his broadsword. "It appears I will have to deal with you assassin filth myself."

And with that the knight lumbered forwards in Il Lupo's direction with a pace that was ponderous but intimidating. One assassin foolishly charged him and was viciously cut down in an instant. Then another nearby assassin met an identical fate. The knight just continued to press forward towards his quarry, unceasing, relentless, and brutal.

Deciding that it was time to put what few bullets he had in his hidden gun to good use, Il Lupo opened fire…only for his first shot to bounce harmlessly off the knight's armor, and the next two only leaving dents or holes but failing to go to the flesh beneath. The knight scoffed and just continued. An assassin Il Lupo recognized as Senza Volta rushed forward and was promptly killed with a mighty upward slash of the knight's sword that sent him briefly into the air and then on his back dead. Now the knight was coming for Il Lupo.

Panicking but visibly maintaining calm, Il Lupo continued to fire at the knight but his shots either bounced off or left dents and small harmless holes, or in the case of others, were dodged completely by the knight, who was able to move out of the way of some of the shots. Two shots did manage to get to the knight's flesh past the armor…but the knight only grunted in annoyance, and kept moving.

Finally accepting that his hidden gun's bullets were not working, Il Lupo readied his sword, as well as his hidden blades, which he prayed would be able to succeed where his bullets would fail…

-X-

Lia sailed forward to the now all but destroyed Tiber Island base as fast as she could, the Borgia ships so busy in their assault that they failed to notice her. Finally, her boat touched land, and she raced forward. Keeping out of eyesight, Lia crept up behind a nearby sentry and jammed her hidden blade into his back. Throwing his body to the ground, Lia drew a sword and was upon two more guards in an instant, cutting them down before they had a chance to react. Moving forward even more, Lia went through one of the many large holes in the villa made by the Borgia's cannon-fire. Upon entering, she saw that the whole building was in complete and utter disarray. Furniture was either overturned or outright destroyed, there were fires, and bodies, both assassin and Borgia guard, were everywhere.

Advancing cautiously with her sword and pistol in hand, her injured leg continuing to hurt and give her a bit of a limp, Lia kept her eyes on the look-out for Il Lupo. She figured by this point neither would object to escaping together and leaving the whole damned war between the assassins and the Templars behind forever.

As Lia continued to advance, she neglected to notice a crossbowman ready his weapon at her…

…Only to receive a fatal stab to the neck area from another assailant. Upon hearing his body hit the floor, Lia whipped around, causing her injured leg to scream in pain, and saw the Thief Faustina Collari standing over the dead crossbowman, holding a now blood-stained half-scissor in hand. Her pretty face was dirty, her once proud and fancy-looking clothing tattered, and her blue hat missing. But she still looked like she had enough fight for three men in her.

"Faustina!"

"Hello Il Falco. Where have you been? The whole villa's under attack!"

"Out hunting. I had no idea this was happening. I swear. Where is Il Lupo?"

"Il Lupo and most of the others were on the opposite side of the villa, trying to reinforce it I believe, stop more troops from getting in. You ask me it's a lost cause. The Borgia's cannons are ripping this place apart. The villa is lost. Our only hope now is to retreat to a safer location. In fact, I was just on my way to gather up what other assassins might remain."

Lia nodded in acknowledgment. "I'll come with you"

Faustina's eyes fell on Lia's bandaged leg.

"What happened to you?"

"Papal Guard"

"Ah"

And with that exchange over, Lia and Faustina made their way through the ruined halls of the villa together, Lia desperately hoping that at least Il Lupo still lived…

-X-

Il Lupo was slammed against the wall hard, and let out a gasp of pain as he struggled to maintain his footing. The knight continued to lumber towards him unfazed, his broadsword ready for another swing at the Prowler.

"That looked like it hurt assassin."

The knight lunged forward with his broadsword. Il Lupo moved out of the way of the swing and the sword embedded itself in the wall. The knight pulled it out and swung out again, this time the tip of the blade made contact with Il Lupo, slashing at his arm. Blood flowed outward and Il Lupo gasped in pain. Whipping around, Il Lupo dodged the next swing and slashed at an exposed under-arm with his sword, but it did no good. The knight kept up his assault, now actively trading sword blows with Il Lupo, whose sword struggled to stand up to the might of the knight's broadsword strikes without breaking. The knight also factored his size and weight into his strategy, pushing Il Lupo back into a corner. Seeing this, Il Lupo broke the duel prematurely but in doing so, provoked a vicious counter-attack from the knight, a back-hand sweep of the arm that sent him hurtling into the wall.

The knight lumbered forward towards him as he struggled to stand up.

"It is over assassin. You have lost this day. The time has come to say your final words in this life"

Il Lupo looked up and smirked as blood trickled down his mouth.

"Well, I can see you're well-fed"

The knight did not appear fazed at all by the insult, but to be fair, the full helmet with a visor that completely obscured his face tended to not give much away. Instead, the knight simply raised his sword over his head.

"Then I, Verulo Gallo, banish you from this life. I believe, as you assassins say, _Requiescat in Pace."_

Not about to let his life end, Il Lupo fired out with his hidden gun once more, and this time the bullet actually seemed to puncture the knight's armor fully, as he staggered back a bit and grunted.

"That weapon is deeply irritating. I shall have to remove it from you…along with the arm it is attached to"

The knight swung out with his broadsword once more, but Il Lupo had since taken advantage of his little distraction to move out of the way. Staggering to his feet once more, Il Lupo stood to fight once more, again trading blows with the knight and again being viciously knocked to the ground and injured by more slashes that left cuts. Soon, he was lying on his back as Verulo Gallo came towards him once more to finish the job.

"Any last true words assassin? Or just another insult?"

Il Lupo's eyes fell to the fallen battle axe of the brute Francesco had shot dead. Il Lupo looked back up at Verulo.

"The latter _bastardo. _You can kiss my axe!"

At this, Il Lupo, with all of the strength his arms still had in them, grabbed the battle axe and swung it right at the knight's armored head. The axe blade embedded itself in the helmet and forced the knight back, allowing Il Lupo to stand to his feet once more, painful as it was. But as he did, he could see clearly that his opponent was not dead. Though his helmet now had a vicious dent in its side, enough that it was now no doubt as much an encumbrance as an asset, and the knight was also staggering, he was not dead.

"That…was very foolish on your part. You have now made me _**very**_ angry"

And without warning, the knight charged forward relentlessly, his broadsword hefted over his shoulder ready to bring it down on Il Lupo with all of his might. Seeing him coming, Il Lupo moved out of the way of his downward slash only for the knight to grab him with one arm and pin him against the wall. Struggling, Il Lupo kicked with all of his might to knock the knight's broadsword askew, and then, with one arm, out popped his "fake" hidden blade. Without hesitation, Il Lupo lunged forward with it…through the knight's visor.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the knight's broadsword fell from his gauntleted hands and clattered to the floor. Il Lupo pulled his hidden blade facsimile out and the knight's massive armored body fell over with a loud thud. Verulo Gallo the Knight was dead.

Letting out an exhausted sigh, Il Lupo slumped up against the wall, his eyes wearily taking in the sight of death and destruction that was laid out before him. It was not a pleasant sight to say the least. A part of Il Lupo felt sorely tempted to just lay down and die, join his fellow assassins in death. But the stubborn part of him that refused to die prevailed, and he just laid there, as the remaining assassins desperately attempted to stem the tide of Borgia soldiers. Il Lupo shook his head sadly. They were only delaying the inevitable.

-X-

Lia moved as fast as her injured leg would allow as she and Faustina Collari made their way to the other end of the villa. Eventually, they came to the nauseating site that was a graveyard of assassins and Borgia men. Lia's eyes looked around frantically for Il Lupo, but she could not find him anywhere. Just as she was about to despair, she saw Francesco moving forward, with Il Lupo leaning on him. Lia fought back the tears of relief upon seeing him. Francesco turned to Faustina: "The villa is lost. As are many of the brotherhood. We must retreat now, and pray that the grandmaster deals justice to Cesare"

Faustina nodded. "I know a place where we can go where we will be safe. Follow me"

Faustina led the way, and Lia and the others followed right behind, all dead silent as the graveness of their defeat weighed on them. This was more then a defeat. It was the most devastating loss the Roman Assassins had suffered since the Siege of Montergionni nearly four years ago.

Eventually, Faustina led them to the back end of the villa, where the remaining assassins loaded into their boats and sailed off to Faustina's promised haven as their villa finally fell behind them to the Borgia's relentless cannon-fire…

_Well…_ Lia thought solemnly, as her eyes fell to Il Lupo who was resting from the fierce battle and his many injuries, _At least I still have you._

**Author's Note: Holy crap…this chapter turned out WAY longer then I intended! That happens a lot I noticed…heh. Guess I just get carried away sometimes.**

**Now for those who are wondering how this could POSSIBLY fit into canon, it is the tail end of 1503. Ezio has begun his pursuit of Cesare Borgia, and is thus not in Rome. His time in Rome is done. Thus, I think I can safely allow the Tiber Island base to be destroyed without hampering canon too much. Not to mention that it can always be rebuilt later…**


	13. Doctor, Prowler, Smuggler, Spy

Chapter 13: Doctor, Prowler, Smuggler, Spy

Faustina Collari's private hideaway was quite spacious, but considering all that was in there this was not surprising. Lia had remembered during her smuggler days how she had sometimes operated out of a similar-sized building, storing all of her ill-gotten gains there like it was her own private treasure trove. And in a way it was. And as Lia looked around, she could see plainly that Faustina had amassed a pretty impressive collection herself.

"Well, here we are" Faustina said in a pleasant tone as the battered remnants of the Italian Assassins made their way in. "My humble residence. Make yourselves comfortable"

Francesco shook his head. "This is a disaster. Tiber Island is destroyed, we have lost several assassins, and our grand-master is still absent. We are in a dire situation indeed…"

Francesco turned to Lia, who had set Il Lupo down and was tending to his injuries.

"Il Falco, I would speak with you in private"

Lia turned back to Il Lupo who nodded. Lia got up and walked over to Francesco, who privately conversed with her in a corner away from the others.

"Well Il Falco, I suspect that our suspicions about there being a traitor have just been proven to be correct. Our base being on Tiber Island was not known to the Templars until now. The only way they could have discovered it is if someone has betrayed the Brotherhood"

"Or maybe one of the apprentices was careless coming back to the base and the Borgia's men followed him back to the island" Lia suggested, desperately attempting to throw off Francesco's suspicions and keep herself from being suspected.

"If that is the case" Francesco said gravely, "then the incompetent responsible had best hope he was killed in the attack, because such a serious breaking of the third law of the Creed would not go unpunished. As it is, a traitor's fate would be far worse…"

Lia's heart raced and her pulse quickened. True, she was innocent, and undoubtedly so was Il Lupo, but if they were exposed as former Templars it would not matter. The Assassins had suffered a devastating defeat. Lia and Il Lupo could expect no mercy from them now if they were found out. Then it hit Lia…

"Where was Fiorra Cavazza in all this?

"She volunteered for a…special assignment. The details of which I am not at a liberty to divulge but suffice it to say, she was nowhere near our island base when the attack came, and as it stands, I seriously doubt that she would betray those who have given her sanctuary to those she previously betrayed. It is simply unwise."

"Then if there is a traitor, who could it be?"

Francesco sighed and shrugged. "In truth I have not the slightest idea. Perhaps your theory is the true one. That there is no traitor. Just an act of fatal carelessness on the part of a returning apprentice. I do not know. But as it stands now, I cannot rule out the possibility of there being a traitor. That said, I suggest that we both keep silent about this. If there _is_ a traitor and they are still here for whatever reason, I have no desire to alert them to our suspicions"

Lia nodded. Made sense. In all honesty she too was now curious to know what the truth was, but also knew that whatever the cause, her time as an assassin was likely not destined to last much longer. She needed to leave while she had the chance. Escape the never-ending war and find some place far away and safe to start a new life. She'd already done it twice before, she could do it again.

But of course this time was different. Now she had someone else to share that new life with…

Lia nodded respectfully to Francesco and then walked off back to where Il Lupo was. As she did, she could overhear bits of conversation between Faustina and the other assassins: "Do you think any of the others survived?"

"Possibly. At the very least, the ones who were in the main city when the attack happened should still be alive. Would probably be best to find them before the Borgia do…"

Lia returned to Il Lupo's side, the Prowler relaxing against a wall, his many cuts bandaged up. He raised his head upon seeing Lia and managed a small grin.

"You are _very_ much a sight for sore eyes bella donna"

Lia said nothing in response as she sat down next to Il Lupo and whispered to him: "So…I'm beginning to think that perhaps you were right. That perhaps it is time we say good-bye to the assassins and their war with the Templars and start a new life together. Somewhere far away from all of this fighting and killing"

There was silence for a moment as Il Lupo appeared to be pondering his decision before nodding and saying: "I think you're right bella donna. We've overstayed our welcome in the brotherhood."

"So what will we do…?"

"You're the smuggler bella donna, can't you find us a means of leaving Rome for someplace else?"

Lia nodded. "I can try. But what about the assassins? They are now suspecting that there is a traitor amongst them. If we flee now, will it not invite their wrath?"

"It would. That's why we'll have to…fake our deaths somehow."

"What?"

"You heard me. I know it sounds crazy, but I'll think of something, don't worry. Anyway, listen: I need to go take care of something. I'll only be gone a day or two I swear, but I need to do this."

"Absolutely not! You're still injured, and I am _**not **_going to risk losing you again"

"So you really do care? Lia, I will be fine…trust me"

Lia. He had finally referred to her by her real name instead of the pet name she had only just come to tolerate. And of course there was that smile that carried so much reassurance, as it had back when they had first met…

"…All right Il Lupo"

-X-

The day after Il Lupo left to take care of his personal business was agonizingly slow for Lia. She found herself constantly worrying about him, and no amount of free-running and sprinting through the beautiful streets of Rome's better areas relieved her of her fears and anxiety. And Il Lupo wasn't the only thing. Between the current bad state of the Italian Assassins, Francesco being on the look-out for a traitor, and Lia and Il Lupo's planned desertion, it seemed that there was no end to her list of worries…

As Lia circled around the district and went into another one, still lost in her thoughts, she became distracted for a brief but deadly moment.

Next thing Lia knew, something hard hit the back of her head with an extreme amount of force, and the world almost went dark on her. Realizing she was under attack, and refusing to let herself become easy prey, Lia moved out of the way of her assailant's next attack, the world still swimming and an intense throbbing pain now present in back of her head, her raven hair and hood no doubt hiding one ugly bruise. Lia groaned in pain and frustration, but nevertheless stood ready to face her attacker. She wasn't exactly surprised to see who it was.

"Malfatto."

"Hello _amore mio. _So here we are again, facing each-other. And no Papal Guards to call. Pity. Well, let me assure you will not be running into each-other again after tonight."

Lia managed a slight smirk past her pain.

"I couldn't agree more"

And with that, the battle began, Smuggler and Doctor slashing and stabbing at one another with hatchet and sword respectively. Malfatto was more agile and quick on his feet then his appearance would suggest, and Lia's head still throbbed from the wound Malfatto had dealt her with a stick he held in his other hand. Nevertheless, she refused to let up. It would end tonight. Forever. The monster who wore a doctor's robe and mask would never again come back to haunt her, or any other woman in Rome.

Finally, one of Lia's thrusts connected, slashing at Malfatto's clothing and cutting it a bit, as well as drawing some blood. Panicking slightly, Malfatto backpedaled to put some distance between himself and the Smuggler. But Lia would not be dissuaded. She sprinted forward, prepared to bring either her sword or hidden blade down on him. In a last-ditch effort to save himself, Malfatto leaped off the roof and ran into the streets, pushing past nearby people as he kept running.

Lia pursued, traversing the rooftops, the whole thing reminding her of when Ezio Auditore had chased her so long ago. Now it seemed, the roles were reversed. That said, Lia had no intentions of showing Malfatto the same mercy Ezio had shown her.

The chase continued a ways, Malfatto refusing to let up, but unfortunately for him his outfit enabled Lia to see him amidst the busy crowds. He stuck out like a sore, black thumb.

Finally, their chase took them to a less crowded part of the city. Just as well, Lia thought. Fewer witnesses made life just a bit easier.

The Doctor sprinted through a narrow gap between two buildings, and for a moment, Lia lost him. But she continued to sprint, coming up to a port. Malfatto was still nowhere in sight.

Lia moved in cautiously, her sword at the ready and eyes on the look-out. Malfatto couldn't hide forever. She'd find him eventually…

Lia's ears picked up the faintest creaking sound, the sound of a boot pressing down just a tad too hard on the wood. And with that one little thing, Lia knew where her enemy was. Whipping around just in time, Lia countered his hatchet swing with her sword, the sweeping strike aiming at the neck of the hatchet.

What followed almost seemed to happen in slow-motion. Lia's sword slashed right through the wooden handle of Malfatto's hatchet, effectively decapitating the weapon as Malfatto looked on, his bird mask hiding a look of terror as the axe-handle sailed through the air.

Now visibly panicking, Malfatto swung outward with his stick, and managed to hit so hard, fast, and fiercely that he knocked Lia's sword out of her hands. Malfatto followed it up with a kick to the stomach, knocking the wind out of Lia for a moment and pushing her back, time Malfatto used to draw a particularly large and nasty-looking knife.

As Malfatto closed in like a predator eager for the kill, Lia discreetly reached for a knife of her own that she kept holstered on one of her boots…

Malfatto raised his large knife, prepared to finish the job once and for all. Lia waited, and then rolled as Malfatto thrusted forward with his weapon. Lia lunged forward at that moment and stabbed the knife into Malfatto's side. Malfatto screamed out in pain and kicked Lia back once more before yanking the knife out, now covered in his blood. He glared at Lia, the goggles on his bird-mask hiding a face of pure, murderous rage.

Malfatto ran forward in a bloodlusted frenzy, swinging his knife this way and that. Lia dodged the mad slashes and grabbed her fallen sword, then stepped out of the way of another swing of Malfatto's knife. She attempted to run him through with her sword but he tackled her unexpectedly, causing both combatants to lose their weapons as they began to wrestle with one another. Soon Malfatto was on top of Lia, struggling to keep her down with one hand as he grabbed another knife with his other hand. He raised the slightly rusted blade over his head, prepared to stab down on the former Smuggler.

"Time to die _amore mio_"

At that, Lia stabbed with her hidden blade, leaving another deep cut in Malfatto's side, weakening his hold on her and allowing Lia to kick him off her. She scrambled to her feet and immediately set to work on her hidden blade…

Malfatto stood up weakly, knife still in hand, and murder still in his hidden eyes.

"Bravo Lia de Russo. Bravo. Never before has a victim put up such a fight"

Lia forced down her disgust. Malfatto was not just a monster and a murderer, he was a coward, who always made sure to drug his victims before killing them. Well not her. She was ready for him, and she had a surprise of her own.

Malfatto continued: "After all of this, I will at least grant you a quick and painless death rather then vivasect you alive. But as for your traitorous lover…"

Lia's eyes widened in horror for a brief moment as Malfatto revealed just how much he knew. Steeling past it, Lia prepared her weapon…

"…Well, once I've dealt with _**you **_I promise you I'll give him my full…attention"

That was all Lia needed to hear.

Raising her arm, Lia took aim and pulled the trigger of her hidden gun. There was a loud bang and then the air was still. Malfatto just stood there, staring at Lia blankly behind his mask, blood now pouring out from the place where he had been shot. Then, he collapsed backwards, a puddle of blood forming. Malfatto the Doctor, the scourge of every woman in Rome and the most ruthless and sadistic killer Lia had ever known, had finally been killed himself.

For a moment, Lia just stood there herself. Then, she let out a deep sigh of relief. In a way, her killing of Malfatto had been a moment of tremendous catharsis. Never again would this monster haunt her nightmares.

Lia walked over to Malfatto's body. There was now only one thing left to do.

Lia reached out for Malfatto's steel bird mask, and gently lifted it from the Doctor's face. With the mask now in her hands, Lia stared down at the face of her nemesis, exposed at last. With one hand, she closed his eyes and gave him the customary final rites, even if he didn't even remotely deserve it.

"_Requiescat in pace…_you son of a bitch"

Lia took one last look at Malfatto's mask, and then tossed it to the ground. Then she left, leaving the Doctor's body behind…

-X-

Malfatto's body was not moved our touched by anyone. The not so good doctor was just left to rot in the street, or burn in the sun, whichever happened first. It pained and sickened Seraffo to see his master's body be treated in such a way.

_The assassins will pay for this…_ Seraffo thought bitterly.

True, his master had not been a terribly kind sort, and he had used him as a decoy, but at least he'd arranged it so that Seraffo might not die. A breastplate underneath the robes, same as the one Malfatto had worn and which now had a bullet-hole in it, and bags of pig's blood to create the illusion of death. His master had thought of everything. Or so it had seemed. Apparently in the end even his master, ever the schemer who fought so hard to avoid joining his many victims, only had so much luck.

So now what was there to do? Where was Seraffo to go? He quickly concluded that it would be unwise to attempt to leave the Templar order, and as it were, he did not want to. He wanted revenge on the assassins. If not here in Rome, then in some other place. Anywhere the assassins lay, he would strike at them, as his master had, and kill them.

Seraffo turned and saw Malfatto's steel bird mask, lying in the street a few feet away from his fallen master. Walking over to it, Seraffo picked it up and stared into it's opaque green-ish goggles. He could almost feel his master looking at him from beyond the grave.

Seraffo decided that if he were to avenge Malfatto, he might as well also carry on his legacy. And so, Seraffo donned Malfatto's mask, and silently declared himself the new Doctor.

**Author's Note: And that is the end of Malfatto. Just two chapters to go! Thanks to everyone who has held in this far! Prepare for the finale!**


	14. Farewell, Bella Donna

Chapter 14: Farewell Bella Donna

**Author's Note: This is it! The penultimate chapter! Major thanks to everyone who has held in thus far, and I hope you enjoy the climax I have chosen! Also, word of warning: this chapter DEFINITELY earns an M rating and it ain't just for violence. You have been warned.**

Lia returned to Faustina's hideout following Malfatto's death and remained there as she waited for Il Lupo to return from whatever it was he had set out to do. As two days passed with no sign of him, Lia found herself panicking, fear of losing him or learning that he had been captured and killed near-paralyzing her as she struggled to keep her head on straight.

Finally, just when Lia was all set to go out looking for him, he returned, slightly battered up and sporting yet another bandaged up injury but still alive. Concern and love taking over, she ran towards him and embraced him, a desire to keep up appearances the only thing keeping her from kissing him outright.

"Where the hell have you been?" She asked angrily.

"Dealing with Fiorra" he replied simply. "I'll tell you more later. In private" Il Lupo said that last bit in a tone that brooked no argument. Lia was tempted to argue anyway, but was so grateful that he was alive that she held her tongue and silently nodded in agreement. Later, when the two were alone, Lia asked him what exactly had happened.

"Fiorra tried to kill me to keep her dirty secrets safe, and also tried to steal something from Cesare." Il Lupo responded. "She failed at both of her goals" he finished simply.

Lia's eyes fell to his bandaged injury. Failed Fiorra may have, but she had still hurt him.

"What happened to her?"

"She's dead" Il Lupo said bluntly. "Cesare was all set to rape, torture, and kill her in that order but I saved her...so I could kill her myself. Now she's at the bottom of the Tiber river"

"Good" was Lia's short and simple reply. It had been the exact same reply she had given in response to Il Lupo's supposed killing of Malfatto. She only hoped that in Fiorra's case she was truly dead. She had no real wish to see that woman again.

"Anyway…" Il Lupo said continuing. "I think that the time has come for us to depart from Rome, that is unless you think we should stay?"

Lia was mildly surprised that Il Lupo would decide to give final judgment to her but nevertheless answered: "Yes, I think so. The other assassins are growing restless, angry. If anything gets out now, they'll tear us apart. And even if they weren't I've had enough of this damned war. I'll set about finding us a ship, and until then, we continue as we always have."

Il Lupo nodded and then drew Lia in to kiss her. She didn't resist and instead allowed him to deepen it, moaning in approval as he continued and held her tightly to him.

-X-

The next few days came and went without much in the way of excitement. Lia spent all of her time discreetly looking for a way out of Rome that would be quick, inconspicuous, and hopefully going as far away from Rome as possible.

A part of Lia did feel a certain amount of guilt at abandoning the assassins order, but Lia also agreed with Il Lupo: she was not keen on having this life for the rest of her days. She had had her fill of the bloodshed and now desired some true peace and happiness in her life. Even if Il Lupo remained at her side that would never come in the service of the assassins or the Templars. So they would flee together.

"_I suppose there is a somewhat romantic feel to it all" _Lia privately mused as she continued to make trips to the docks looking for someone who would take them away from Rome who seemed at least somewhat trustworthy. No easy feat.

Finally, Lia ran into a woman she had seen before: she was slender and beautiful, but with a certain deadliness to the way she carried herself, and indeed a sword with a curving blade worn at her side. On her head she had a tri-cornered hat along with the coat and boots of a pirate.

She was Evelyn Guerra, the Corsair, and she and Lia had stolen their fair share of valuables together. Upon seeing Lia, Evelyn immediately saw past her assassin clothes and ran up to her. If it had been anyone else, Lia would have bolted, but she hesitated upon seeing her old friend. Nevertheless, she kept her hidden blade and sword ready.

But the need for such weapons was lost when Evelyn embraced Lia in a tight hug.

"Lia! Ah you clever girl, its good to see you again!"

Lia chuckled. "Likewise Evelyn."

Evelyn let go of Lia and took in her new appearance fully. "Impressive garb. Switched allegiances I see"

Lia merely shrugged in response.

Evelyn chuckled once more. "Ah its alright. I jumped ship myself a long time ago. The pay was good and I'm no stranger to blood, but I'm also a pirate with standards, not a hired murderer. At least not anymore"

"You, standards?" Lia said mockingly. "You're growing soft in your middle age Evelyn"

Evelyn chuckled in response to that. "You wouldn't have lived long enough to switch sides if it weren't for me bailing you out of trouble time after time"

Lia rolled her eyes playfully. "Please, I can take care of myself"

"Evidently. An Assassin now"

"Well, yes and no. Actually, Evelyn I'm in a bit of trouble right now and I could use your help. Its something serious"

That last part cut off any joke Evelyn had prepared. Instead she just nodded in response and said: "I'm listening"

-X-

"Its done. I found us someone to get us out of Rome and into Constantinople. Its someone reliable, trust me, I know her"

"A _her? _Well that's unexpected."

"She's an old friend of mine, Evelyn Guerra."

"You never mentioned her to me, but I do recognize the name. Was one of the Borgia's out-of-city agents if I remember correctly"

"Yes, she was a corsair and a pirate. The two of us would often steal things for the Borgia together"

Il Lupo nodded. "I suppose in the end its only fitting that fellow Templar defectors aid us in our little exodus."

Lia took in a deep breath. "Yes…we can finally start a new life away from all of this. Someplace nice and quiet…"

"Are you alright?"

"I have some doubts about whether we should do this" Lia confessed. "But I'm doing my best to ignore them. I don't want this to be the rest of my life, and unless we leave now, it will be"

Il Lupo smiled. "I believe that I can live with that…"

He pulled Lia close to her and again, she did not resist him, but rather embraced him as he embraced her. What followed next was not the sort of thing one described but rather experienced, at least that was the way Lia thought of it. Regardless, it was an absolutely amazing experience, one that brought Lia more happiness and security then she had ever had in her life prior to losing her uncle and first joining the Templars. They continued their passionate kissing, shedding their clothing and making love intensely on the floor. They touched intimate regions of one another and got closer then they ever had with anyone before. Finally, as they had an orgasm, Lia silently hoped that this would be the first of many, many such moments between the two.

After their love-making concluded, Lia and Il Lupo went to the nearby bed and lay there together, still in each-other's arms. Neither said anything. Rather they remained and cherished the moment of intimacy and togetherness. Lia only broke this silence to whisper intoxicating promises into his ear and then their lips met once again.

-X-

It was nightfall when Lia arrived at the designated spot on the docks, back in her old Smuggler attire. The fog and clouds eclipsed the crescent moon, and it was pitch black. Nevertheless, Lia kept her eyes on the alert for her lover, growing anxious, impatient and above all fearful when he failed to arrive.

Finally though, out of the darkness he appeared, but he wore an anxious expression on his face. When Lia embraced him, he whispered to her: "We must go now. There is no time"

"Why? What has happened?"

"Let's just say that even in death Fiorra hurts us. Before going on her mission for Francesco she left a note exposing me as a Templar. Now half the brotherhood's after me. I just evaded an attack by some apprentices. There is no longer any time to waste…"

Lia's heart raced and feared coursed through every vein. Her fear of exposure had finally been realized, now, at the eleventh hour. And with them in the process of fleeing their case looked all the worse.

"Evelyn's ship is docked. I was just waiting for you to arrive. We leave now"

Il Lupo shook his head. "I am afraid that that will not be happening"

Lia's blood froze and her eyes widened in terror. "What?"

"I told you, I've been exposed. But you have not. If you leave now, the brotherhood will never know until it is too late. They will think that the Templar's attempted infiltration will die with me."

"That's ridiculous!" Lia protested. "And I'm not leaving you anyway! We are getting out here together!"

"We both know how tenacious the assassins are Lia" Il Lupo pointed out. "They will not stop until we are both dead, unless again, they believe me to be the only Templar agent. There is no time for be to debate this with you Lia, you _must go!_"

"It is too late for that"

Whipping around, Lia and Il Lupo saw a small group of assassins, with one in the front and center speaking up once more: "You Templars infiltrate our brotherhood and now you attempt to escape justice. This will not stand"

Each of the assassins was fully armed with a variety of weapons, from swords to hammers to maces, to crossbows. And the way they appeared, partially hidden by the shadows with their hoods up to obscure their faces, they suddenly looked less like the white knights of Rome they had made a reputation for themselves as, and more like a pack of predators. Of hardened, cold-blooded, ruthless killers. But of course, they were all of those things and more.

Lia and Il Lupo both knew that it would be pointless and futile to try and talk their way out of their current predicament. To convince them that they were not spies for the Templar order, but deserters. Perhaps if their exposure had come sooner, there would be a chance. But with the recent terrible losses the assassins had suffered at the Templar's hands, there would be no hope. Only their deaths would satisfy the brotherhood.

So, with a heavy heart, Lia and Il Lupo prepared themselves for battle. The assassin with the crossbow made the first move, firing an iron bolt from his weapon that sailed through the air. Lia and Il Lupo moved out of the way of the shot, Lia firing out with the pistol she had stolen from the Papal Guard. Not wishing to kill one who until recently would have been an ally, she aimed for the leg in the hopes of incapacitating him. She was successful. The assassin let out a cry of pain and fell over. With Il Lupo covering her from the others, Lia rushed forward and kicked the downed assassin's crossbow out of his hands so he couldn't shoot her while he was down. Spinning around after doing so, Lia just barely countered a sword thrust made by the head assassin.

"You came intending our brotherhood's destruction and we like fools took you in with open arms"

Lia desperately wanted to try and reason with her opponent. Try to tell him that she hadn't betrayed the assassins or sold them out. All of it was true, but there was no way they would believe her now and she knew it. So she buried her sadness, suppressed her hesitation, and struck back with her own sword.

Her opponent was skilled, definitely no mere apprentice or recruit. But she wasn't either. She had been trained by the best, and she put that training to good use. In the corner of her eye she could see Il Lupo reluctantly strike down an assassin carrying a mace before he could smash Il Lupo's head open.

Lia side-stepped out of the way of her opponent's next thrust, and then ducked just in time to avoid another assassin's hammer swing. With a swing of her sword, she decapitated the assassin's hammer as she had Malfatto's hatchet. Before the assassin could do anything else, Lia slashed out, cutting the assassin across his chest and forcing back.

The other assassin thrusted once more, managing to stab Lia in her side. Lia gasped but managed to force the sword out of her side and strike out with her sword. Clutching her bleeding side, Lia dodged the next strike of her opponent before finally managing to knock his sword of his hands. Swinging out again, her sword struck at thin air as the assassin ducked under the swing, popped out his hidden blade and lunged in for the kill…

…Only for a bullet to enter one side of his head and out the other. He collapsed to the ground dead in a heartbeat, and Lia breathed a sigh of relief at how she had narrowly avoided death yet again. Turning around, she saw that Il Lupo has taken care of his other opponent and shot the lead assassin just in time.

"I regret killing him, but it had to be done"

Lia nodded and then cast another saddened look at the dead assassin. He wasn't evil. None of them were. They were simply acting as they should: dealing with perceived members of their enemies. If only she and Il Lupo could have been able to convince them…

Il Lupo turned to Lia: "There will be more assassins soon. There is no longer any time for either one of us. You must leave now!"

"I will _not_ leave you!" Lia hissed.

"_Look at yourself Lia!" _Il Lupo yelled. "Your side is bleeding! You need to go! Or we both die! And I will _**not **_let that happen!"

Lia stared at him with pained eyes. He was demanding that she live him and save herself. She couldn't believe that he could do this to her, but again her eyes fell on the dead or unconscious assassins. Il Lupo was right: there would undoubtedly be more after them. After what they were suspected of doing, the assassins never would stop hunting them.

"LIA!"

Lia and Il Lupo turned to see Evelyn on her ship beckoning for the two to get on board.

"Lia, come on! I can't keep the ship docked forever. If we're going, it needs to be now!"

Lia looked back at Il Lupo. Without warning, he pulled her close to him and captured her lips. Lia returned her passion and for but a moment they just stood their in their embrace. Then, their lips parted.

"I love you Lia de Russo" Il Lupo said. "I am glad I got the chance to say it. Now you must go"

"We are going together Il Lupo" Lia said forcefully. "We either live together or die together"

Il Lupo looked at her hard before finally taking a deep sigh. "Then we are in this together to the bitter end then"

Lia nodded. "As it should be"

-X-

At first Lia and Il Lupo were unsure of where exactly to go. Eventually they settled for a small village on the far edge of Constantinople. It took them a while to get there. In the meantime Lia waited for her wound to heal and spent her time with Il Lupo. She soon found that she could no longer wear her usual attire as she felt her body begin to change. It took just a little while to catch on, but the reality of the situation soon became obvious enough.

It didn't matter. She was going to give her and Il Lupo a true, full family. In truth Lia had no idea what it would be like, but also figured that it would be a better, happier life than the one she had been leading for so long. No more templars, no more assassins, no more death. Just her, Il Lupo, and what she now carried inside her.

**Author's Note: Hang in their folks, there's still an epilogue to be had!**


	15. Epilogue

Chapter 15: Epilogue

**Author's Note: First off, I really apologize for the several month gap in updates. I was kind of busy working on other projects. But now, at long last, the epilogue to Smuggler's Redemption is finally here. I hope you enjoy.**

_End of recorded memories, date c. 1504-1505. Date of deaths for Templar Anima Avatars Lia de Russo code-name "Smuggler" and Il Lupo code-name "Prowler" unknown. 100% Synchronization acquired._

As the words flashed up in front of them, Mary Lian and Ralph Bones took the information in wordlessly. Over the last few weeks the two willing test subjects of Abstergo Industries had been re-living the memories of Lia de Russo and Il Lupo as they had happened in the span of 1503-1507, and in that time the scientists and technicians in charge of Abstergo Industries' latest little project had been hovering over them, taking notes every minute of every day it seemed. All the while they kept muttering and murmuring things that flew completely over the heads of Mary and Ralph. They were just there to get all the lovely benefits that would come as a consequence of their being a pair of Guinea Pigs, namely lucrative pay, benefits for family members, and any material possession the test subjects named. Abstergo Industries would provide it all. All Mary and Ralph had to do was to relive the memories of the two Templars turned Assassins via the Animus.

But now the tests were all done. The Animus was telling them that they had seen the last of the recorded memories, so now what else was there to do? As Mary and Ralph exited the Animus machines they had been hooked up to, the scientist who had been observing and recording them in particular, stepped forward. His name-tag identified him as Doctor Thompson Bailey.

"Excellent work, the both of you. Every memory of both Italian Renaissance Templar agents have been re-lived by you two and recorded by me and my peers. I must say you have both done exceptionally well. Exceeded all expectations. Expect your full agreed compensation for your services and then some. Oh, Doctor Vidic will be drooling over these results, but don't tell him I said that"

Doctor Bailey chuckled to himself and then left. As he exited, Ralph turned to Mary and said: "Wow. That sure was something huh? Getting to experience the life of another person from another time…"

"Yeah, it was fun" Mary agreed.

"Not just fun. I'd say it was almost kind of humbling in a way. Really was one hell of an experience. And what a life those two led! Assassinations, adventure, romance…the whole thing would make for some pretty good fiction wouldn't you say?"

Mary just shrugged. "I suppose. It was certainly an interesting experience, that's for sure, but I'm not sure I was as deeply affected by it as you were"

"Oh…OK. Whatever you say…"

"The Prowler sure was a badass though…"

"Yeah" Richard said, nodding in agreement. "They both were…"

-X-

_Report to Doctor Warren Vidic:_

_Animus-assisted recording of past Templar memories tests 20-34 C a success. 100% Synchronization acquired for both test subject Ralph Bones and Mary Lian on Anima Avatars Lia de Russo-The Smuggler and Il Lupo-The Prowler respectively. Subjects successfully relived unique memories of both Italian Renaissance-era Templar agents, also revealing final fates of numerous other Templar agents, most notably Malfatto-The Doctor, whose death in the memories recorded conflicts with previously believed time, location, and method of death at hands of Master Assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze. Discrepancy should be investigated. Also note that recorded memories conflict with previously believed final fates of Lia de Russo-Smuggler and Il Lupo-Prowler, thought to have both perished in 1503 at the hands of Master Assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze and Fiora Cavazza-The Courtesan respectively. Once again, I strongly suggest that this discrepancy be investigated._

_In spite of the inconsistencies between Templar memory tests 20-34 C and recorded and documented memories of Master Assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze, it is my belief that all of the tests were a complete success. In light of these and other successful tests, I recommend moving on to the next phase and begin placing test subjects in the Animi Training Program, beginning with the Anima Avatars from Italian Renaissance-era and then moving on to Renaissance-era Constantinople Anima Avatars. _

_-Doctor Thompson Bailey_

-X-

As Ralph and Mary waited for someone to come back and tell them that they could both go home, Ralph busied himself by examining the Animus he had been repeatedly hooked up to over the course of several days. As he did, he noticed something.

"Hey, Mary, come take a look at this"

"What is it?"

"I think there's one last memory of Lia de Russo's here.

"What? That can't be. The machine said we had gone through all the recorded memories."

"From the time period of 1503-1504. This one looks to be a few years later. Guess whatever was in it wasn't necessary to get full synchronization in all the tests…"

"Ralph, what are you…?"

But before Mary could finish even asking the question, Ralph had already re-entered the Animus and accessed the final recorded memory of Lia de Russo…

**Constantinople, 1514**

"Figlio di Lupo!"

At Lia's calling, a young lanky-limbed boy with very short dark hair and a big grin on his face came running up to her. He had a generally sunny demeanor, with very light dimples and his father's eyes.

"I'm here mama. What is it?"

"I am going down to see Evelyn and get tonight's dinner at the market. Would you like to come?"

Figlio di Lupo nodded in response. "Yes mama."

Lia smiled warmly at her son and the two left together, making their way through the busy and crowded streets of Constantinople. It really was quite the sight during the day, with so many people of all shapes and sizes mulling about that Lia kept her son close to her at all times. She loved Figlio di Lupo to death but the boy had a tendency to be a little _too _out-going and energetic and sometimes wandered off, which also scared her senseless.

As the two made their way through the streets of Constantinople to where Evelyn and her ship could be found, Lia thought on how much had her life had changed for the better. Gone was her life as a Smuggler and an assassin, and in its place was a husband who loved her with him a son who now walked with her to see an old friend who Lia had remained in touch with. It was nice, she found. If this was to be her only life, she was hard-pressed to think of anything better.

_Then again, a bigger house wouldn't hurt _Lia joked to herself.

The mother-son duo continud to weave their way through the crowds. Eventually they came to Evelyn's ship and after a pleasant greeting from her old friend Lia set about buying the things she would need for the tonight's dinner. Because Lia was a friend she got all of her items at half-price, and even got a few little things for free. In the end Lia wound up only having to spend a fraction of the money she had brought.

"Miss Guera sure is nice, isn't she mama?"

Lia smiled warmly at her son as they continued to walk back to their house together. "Yes, Figlio di Lupo, she is. But remember, she wasn't always that way" 

"She wasn't?"

"Oh no. There was a time when miss Guerra was a feared and deadly plunderer of the seas. The Corsair they called her! Ah, the adventures she would have and the things she would do…"

"Did you ever go on any of those adventures with her mama?"

Lia smiled once again but said nothing in response to her son's question. The two continued to walk in silence for a little while before Figlio Di Lupo said: "When is papa coming home?"

"Soon Figlio, soon."

"Did you and papa ever go on any adventures together before you got married?"

Lia nodded. "Oh yes, Many adventures. But I thought I told you some of them, didn't I?"

Figlio di Lupo nodded. "Yes mama, you did. I just don't remember them all"

"Ah, its OK. I can always tell them to you again if you want"

Figlio di Lupo nodded. "That would be nice"

As they continued to walk, Lia suddenly saw someone she had never thought she would ever see again.

He was standing amidst the crowd of people, wearing robes that were a bluish-gray color as opposed to the usual white and red of the assassins, but Lia still recognized him from the facial details she could make out and what she recognized as the vambrace of a hidden blade.

It was Ezio Auditore da Firenze, the Grand Master of the Assassins, and the man who had spared her life when he just as easily could have taken it. He, who gave her a second chance that had now led her to among other things, redemption, escape from her life of misery and violence and death, a husband and son, and above all, happiness.

He briefly locked eyes with hers. If he recognized her at all, he did a remarkably good job at not showing it. Instead, he just looked away and walked off in the distance, notably with a beautiful woman around Lia's age with red hair and a pretty emerald green dress following him.

"Who was that man you were looking at mama?" Lia's son asked curiously.

"Oh, nobody Figlio." She said reassuringly. "Just a man who once gave me a second chance"

**Author's Note: And with this long-overdue epilogue my first-ever Assassins Creed fan-fic comes to a close. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. I don't know if I will be doing any more AC fan-fics anytime soon, but if nothing else, at least I have this one that I've really enjoyed writing. So thanks to all who wound up reviewing! **

**And for what it's worth, I never did like any of the modern-day diddy and honestly feel that the whole franchise would be much better if they got rid of all of the stuff with Desmond and Abstergo Industries and just made it full-on Historical Fiction. I mean, maybe include some modern-day stuff with Desmond as the guy who reads about all this crazy stuff happening, but as far as the (honestly kind of ludicrous) conspiracy and modern-day sci-fi stuff goes, I could do without it all if I'm being totally honest. Still, I figured I could tie it in to my fan-fic in a way that would make sense with what's been previously established. **


End file.
